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Global climate change and terrestrial net primary production

Authors:

Jerry Melillo

David McGuire

David Kicklighter

Berrien Moore

Charles Vörösmarty

Annette Schloss

+1 more
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Year of Publication:
1993
Secondary Title:
Nature
Pages:
234-240
Volume:
363
Year:
1993
Date:
5/1993

Abstract

A process-based model was used to estimate global patterns of net primary production and soil nitrogen cycling for contemporary climate conditions and current atmospheric C02 concentration. Over half of the global annual net primary production was estimated to occur in the tropics, with most of the production attributable to tropical evergreen forest. The effects of C02 doubling and associated climate changes were also explored. The responses in tropical and dry temperate ecosystems were dominated by C02, but those in northern and moist temperate ecosystems reflected the effects of temperature on nitrogen availability.