Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency

Abstract Mass conservation and metabolic theory place constraints on how marine export production (EP) scales with net primary productivity (NPP) and sea surface temperature (SST); however, little is empirically known about how these relationships vary across ecologically distinct ocean biomes. Here...

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Main Authors: Gregory L. Britten, François W. Primeau
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-05-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068778
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author Gregory L. Britten
François W. Primeau
author_facet Gregory L. Britten
François W. Primeau
author_sort Gregory L. Britten
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Mass conservation and metabolic theory place constraints on how marine export production (EP) scales with net primary productivity (NPP) and sea surface temperature (SST); however, little is empirically known about how these relationships vary across ecologically distinct ocean biomes. Here we compiled in situ observations of EP, NPP, and SST and used statistical model selection theory to demonstrate significant biome‐specific scaling relationships among these variables. Multiple statistically similar models yield a threefold variation in the globally integrated carbon flux (~4–12 Pg C yr−1) when applied to climatological satellite‐derived NPP and SST. Simulated NPP and SST input variables from a 4×CO2 climate model experiment further show that biome‐specific scaling alters the predicted response of EP to simulated increases of atmospheric CO2. These results highlight the need to better understand distinct pathways of carbon export across unique ecological biomes and may help guide proposed efforts for in situ observations of the ocean carbon cycle.
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spelling doaj-art-ca9dd7ac793e4d12a80523935bc557a02025-08-20T03:49:37ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-05-0143105210521610.1002/2016GL068778Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiencyGregory L. Britten0François W. Primeau1Department of Earth System Science University of California Irvine USADepartment of Earth System Science University of California Irvine USAAbstract Mass conservation and metabolic theory place constraints on how marine export production (EP) scales with net primary productivity (NPP) and sea surface temperature (SST); however, little is empirically known about how these relationships vary across ecologically distinct ocean biomes. Here we compiled in situ observations of EP, NPP, and SST and used statistical model selection theory to demonstrate significant biome‐specific scaling relationships among these variables. Multiple statistically similar models yield a threefold variation in the globally integrated carbon flux (~4–12 Pg C yr−1) when applied to climatological satellite‐derived NPP and SST. Simulated NPP and SST input variables from a 4×CO2 climate model experiment further show that biome‐specific scaling alters the predicted response of EP to simulated increases of atmospheric CO2. These results highlight the need to better understand distinct pathways of carbon export across unique ecological biomes and may help guide proposed efforts for in situ observations of the ocean carbon cycle.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068778export productionnet primary productiontemperaturesatellitecarbon cycle
spellingShingle Gregory L. Britten
François W. Primeau
Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
Geophysical Research Letters
export production
net primary production
temperature
satellite
carbon cycle
title Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
title_full Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
title_fullStr Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
title_full_unstemmed Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
title_short Biome‐specific scaling of ocean productivity, temperature, and carbon export efficiency
title_sort biome specific scaling of ocean productivity temperature and carbon export efficiency
topic export production
net primary production
temperature
satellite
carbon cycle
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068778
work_keys_str_mv AT gregorylbritten biomespecificscalingofoceanproductivitytemperatureandcarbonexportefficiency
AT francoiswprimeau biomespecificscalingofoceanproductivitytemperatureandcarbonexportefficiency