Changes in above- versus belowground biomass distribution in permafrost regions in response to climate warming ...

• Main Authors: Yun, Hanbo, Ciais, Philippe, Zhu, Qing, Chen, Deliang, Zohner, Constantin, Tang, Jing, Qu, Yang, Zhou, Hao, Schimel, Joshua, Zhu, Peng, Shao, Ming, Hesselbjerg Christensen, Jens, Wu, Qingbai, Chen, Anping, Elberling, Bo
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: ETH Zurich 2024
• Subjects: vegetation adaptions; permafrost; climate warning; biomass allocation; carbon trajectory
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000678462; http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/678462

Permafrost regions contain approximately half of the carbon stored in land ecosystems and have warmed at least twice as much as any other biome. This warming has influenced vegetation activity, leading to changes in plant composition, physiology, and biomass storage in aboveground and belowground components, ultimately impacting ecosystem carbon balance. Yet, little is known about the causes and magnitude of long-term changes in the above- to belowground biomass ratio of plants (η). Here, we analyzed η values using 3,013 plots and 26,337 species-specific measurements across eight sites on the Tibetan Plateau from 1995 to 2021. Our analysis revealed distinct temporal trends in η for three vegetation types: a 17% increase in alpine wetlands, and a decrease of 26% and 48% in alpine meadows and alpine steppes, respectively. These trends were primarily driven by temperature-induced growth preferences rather than shifts in plant species composition. Our findings indicate that in wetter ecosystems, climate warming ... : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121 (25) ...