<p>Global vegetation growth is thought to be limited by nitrogen (N) more than by other nutrients. Here we document a stronger phosphorus (P) limitation on global photosynthesis compared with N over the last four decades. On the basis of more than 80,000 field observations of foliar nutrients and a machine learning method, we generated a long-term global dataset of foliar N and P concentrations for the period 1980–2017. We show a larger declining rate of foliar P concentration (−0.80 ± 0.008% yr<sup>−1</sup>) than of N concentration (−0.31 ± 0.002% yr<sup>−1</sup>). This decline has led to an increase in terrestrial areas limited by foliar P and a widespread constraint on vegetation photosynthesis, more than 1.5 times stronger than the constraint by foliar N. The increasing trend in global photosynthesis over the past 4 decades has been reduced by approximately 17.2% and 6.7% as a result of the decline in foliar P and N, respectively. This stronger P limitation on global photosynthesis implies a weakening of terrestrial carbon sinks due to an emerging P constraint and calls for stricter strategies for reducing anthropogenic emissions to mitigate climatic warming.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Phosphorus constrains global photosynthesis more than nitrogen does

  • Songhan Wang,
  • Philippe Ciais,
  • Peter B. Reich,
  • Alessandro Cescatti,
  • David S. Ellsworth,
  • Ivan A. Janssens,
  • Jordi Sardans,
  • Yiqi Luo,
  • Nicholas G. Smith,
  • Enzai Du,
  • Di Tian,
  • Yu Jiang,
  • Yanfeng Ding,
  • Josep Peñuelas

摘要

Global vegetation growth is thought to be limited by nitrogen (N) more than by other nutrients. Here we document a stronger phosphorus (P) limitation on global photosynthesis compared with N over the last four decades. On the basis of more than 80,000 field observations of foliar nutrients and a machine learning method, we generated a long-term global dataset of foliar N and P concentrations for the period 1980–2017. We show a larger declining rate of foliar P concentration (−0.80 ± 0.008% yr−1) than of N concentration (−0.31 ± 0.002% yr−1). This decline has led to an increase in terrestrial areas limited by foliar P and a widespread constraint on vegetation photosynthesis, more than 1.5 times stronger than the constraint by foliar N. The increasing trend in global photosynthesis over the past 4 decades has been reduced by approximately 17.2% and 6.7% as a result of the decline in foliar P and N, respectively. This stronger P limitation on global photosynthesis implies a weakening of terrestrial carbon sinks due to an emerging P constraint and calls for stricter strategies for reducing anthropogenic emissions to mitigate climatic warming.