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Journal Article

The influence of vegetation dynamics on anthropogenic climate change

MPS-Authors

Port,  U.
Max Planck Fellows, MPI for Meteorology, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons37113

Brovkin,  Victor       
Climate-Biogeosphere Interaction, The Land in the Earth System, MPI for Meteorology, Max Planck Society;
B 2 - Land Use and Land Cover Change, Research Area B: Climate Manifestations and Impacts, The CliSAP Cluster of Excellence, External Organizations;

/persons/resource/persons37123

Claussen,  Martin       
Director’s Research Group LES, The Land in the Earth System, MPI for Meteorology, Max Planck Society;

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esd-3-233-2012.pdf
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Citation

Port, U., Brovkin, V., & Claussen, M. (2012). The influence of vegetation dynamics on anthropogenic climate change. Earth System Dynamics, 3, 233-243. doi:10.5194/esd-3-233-2012.


Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0010-25C0-F
Abstract
In this study, vegetation–climate and vegetation–carbon cycle interactions during anthropogenic climate change are assessed by using the Earth System Model of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI ESM) that includes vegetation dynamics and an interactive carbon cycle. We assume anthropogenic CO2 emissions according to the RCP 8.5 scenario in the time period from 1850 to 2120. For the time after 2120, we assume zero emissions to evaluate the response of the stabilising Earth System by 2300. Our results suggest that vegetation dynamics have a considerable influence on the changing global and regional climate. In the simulations, global mean tree cover extends by 2300 due to increased atmospheric CO2 concentration and global warming. Thus, land carbon uptake is higher and atmospheric CO2 concentration is lower by about 40 ppm when considering dynamic vegetation compared to the static pre-industrial vegetation cover. The reduced atmospheric CO2 concentration is equivalent to a lower global mean temperature. Moreover, biogeophysical effects of vegetation cover shifts influence the climate on a regional scale. Expanded tree cover in the northern high latitudes results in a reduced albedo and additional warming. In the Amazon region, declined tree cover causes a regional warming due to reduced evapotranspiration. As a net effect, vegetation dynamics have a slight attenuating effect on global climate change as the global climate cools by 0.22 K due to natural vegetation cover shifts in 2300.