Enhanced global primary production by biogenic aerosol via diffuse radiation fertilization

TY - JOUR

T1 - Enhanced global primary production by biogenic aerosol via diffuse radiation fertilization

AU - Rap, A.

AU - Scott, Cathryn

AU - Mercado, L

AU - Ellis, Richard

AU - Garraway, Shani Amber

AU - Evans, Mathew John

AU - Beerling, David

AU - MacKenzie, A.R.

AU - Hewitt, C N

AU - Spracklen, D. V.

N1 - This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

PY - 2018/9/1

Y1 - 2018/9/1

N2 - Terrestrial vegetation releases large quantities of plant volatiles into the atmosphere that can then oxidise to form secondary organic aerosol. These particles affect plant productivity via the diffuse radiation fertilisation effect through altering the balance between direct and diffuse radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. Here, using a suite of models describing relevant coupled components of the Earth system, we quantify the impacts of biogenic secondary organic aerosol on plant photosynthesis via this fertilisation effect. We show that this leads to a net primary productivity enhancement of 1.23 Pg C a-1 (range 0.76-1.61 Pg C a-1 due to uncertainty in biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation). Notably, this productivity enhancement is twice the mass of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions (and ~30 times larger than the mass of carbon in biogenic secondary organic aerosol) causing it. Hence, our simulations indicate that there is a strong positive ecosystem feedback between biogenic volatile organic compound emissions and plant productivity via plant-canopy light-use efficiency. We estimate a gain of 1.07 in global biogenic volatile organic compound emissions resulting from this feedback.

AB - Terrestrial vegetation releases large quantities of plant volatiles into the atmosphere that can then oxidise to form secondary organic aerosol. These particles affect plant productivity via the diffuse radiation fertilisation effect through altering the balance between direct and diffuse radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. Here, using a suite of models describing relevant coupled components of the Earth system, we quantify the impacts of biogenic secondary organic aerosol on plant photosynthesis via this fertilisation effect. We show that this leads to a net primary productivity enhancement of 1.23 Pg C a-1 (range 0.76-1.61 Pg C a-1 due to uncertainty in biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation). Notably, this productivity enhancement is twice the mass of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions (and ~30 times larger than the mass of carbon in biogenic secondary organic aerosol) causing it. Hence, our simulations indicate that there is a strong positive ecosystem feedback between biogenic volatile organic compound emissions and plant productivity via plant-canopy light-use efficiency. We estimate a gain of 1.07 in global biogenic volatile organic compound emissions resulting from this feedback.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052606556&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41561-018-0208-3

DO - 10.1038/s41561-018-0208-3

M3 - Article

SN - 1752-0894

VL - 11

SP - 640

EP - 644

JO - Nature Geoscience

JF - Nature Geoscience

IS - 9

ER -