Nature Communications (Sep 2018)

Precipitation thresholds regulate net carbon exchange at the continental scale

  • Zhihua Liu,
  • Ashley P. Ballantyne,
  • Benjamin Poulter,
  • William R. L. Anderegg,
  • Wei Li,
  • Ana Bastos,
  • Philippe Ciais

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05948-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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The sensitivity of terrestrial net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) to climate remains a major source of uncertainty. Here, the authors identify a precipitation threshold of between 750-950 mm yr−1 for the contiguous United States, beyond which NEE is regulated by respiration rather than production.