Vegetation Response to Rising CO2 Impacts Extreme Temperatures

Abstract Extreme temperatures are responsible for damages to society and ecosystems. There is evidence that severe episodes of extreme heat have been occurring more frequently and more severely in recent periods. Driven primarily by oceanic and atmospheric effects as well as land‐climate feedbacks,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Léo Lemordant, Pierre Gentine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080238
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Summary:Abstract Extreme temperatures are responsible for damages to society and ecosystems. There is evidence that severe episodes of extreme heat have been occurring more frequently and more severely in recent periods. Driven primarily by oceanic and atmospheric effects as well as land‐climate feedbacks, those extreme events are expected to increase with climate change. Vegetation, which regulates the energy, water, and carbon cycles, is a key player of land‐atmosphere interactions that has been proven to be determinant in recent extreme events. Using an ensemble of Earth System Models simulations, we show that physiological effects globally increase the annual daily maximum temperature (Txx) with rising [CO2], accounting globally for around 13% of the full Txx trend. Due to physiological effects, Txx can reinforce (e.g., central Europe) or reduce (e.g., central North America) the mean temperature increase.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007