Skip to main content

Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rohr, T; Manzoni, S; Feng, X; Menezes, RSC; Porporato, A
Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
July 1, 2013

While seasonally dry conditions are typical of large areas of the tropics, their biogeochemical responses to seasonal rainfall and soil carbon (C) sequestration potential are not well characterized. Seasonal moisture availability positively affects both productivity and soil respiration, resulting in a delicate balance between C deposition as litterfall and C loss through heterotrophic respiration. To understand how rainfall seasonality (i.e., duration of the wet season and rainfall distribution) affects this balance and to provide estimates of long-term C sequestration, we develop a minimal model linking the seasonal behavior of the ensemble soil moisture, plant productivity, related C inputs through litterfall, and soil C dynamics. A drought-deciduous caatinga ecosystem in northeastern Brazil is used as a case study to parameterize the model. When extended to different patterns of rainfall seasonality, the results indicate that for fixed annual rainfall, both plant productivity and soil C sequestration potential are largely, and nonlinearly, dependent on wet season duration. Moreover, total annual rainfall is a critical driver of this relationship, leading at times to distinct optima in both production and C storage. These theoretical predictions are discussed in the context of parameter uncertainties and possible changes in rainfall regimes in tropical dry ecosystems. © 2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences

DOI

EISSN

2169-8961

Publication Date

July 1, 2013

Volume

118

Issue

3

Start / End Page

1156 / 1167

Related Subject Headings

  • 3706 Geophysics
  • 0404 Geophysics
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Rohr, T., Manzoni, S., Feng, X., Menezes, R. S. C., & Porporato, A. (2013). Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118(3), 1156–1167. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrg.20091
Rohr, T., S. Manzoni, X. Feng, R. S. C. Menezes, and A. Porporato. “Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 118, no. 3 (July 1, 2013): 1156–67. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrg.20091.
Rohr T, Manzoni S, Feng X, Menezes RSC, Porporato A. Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 2013 Jul 1;118(3):1156–67.
Rohr, T., et al. “Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, vol. 118, no. 3, July 2013, pp. 1156–67. Scopus, doi:10.1002/jgrg.20091.
Rohr T, Manzoni S, Feng X, Menezes RSC, Porporato A. Effect of rainfall seasonality on carbon storage in tropical dry ecosystems. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 2013 Jul 1;118(3):1156–1167.

Published In

Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences

DOI

EISSN

2169-8961

Publication Date

July 1, 2013

Volume

118

Issue

3

Start / End Page

1156 / 1167

Related Subject Headings

  • 3706 Geophysics
  • 0404 Geophysics