Effect of nitrogen deposition on centennial forest water-use efficiency
dc.contributor.author
Gharun, Mana
dc.contributor.author
Klesse, Stefan
dc.contributor.author
Tomlinson, Gregory
dc.contributor.author
Waldner, Peter
dc.contributor.author
Stocker, Benjamin
dc.contributor.author
Rihm, Beat
dc.contributor.author
Siegwolf, Rolf
dc.contributor.author
Buchmann, Nina
dc.date.accessioned
2021-11-04T16:43:45Z
dc.date.available
2021-10-21T20:54:49Z
dc.date.available
2021-10-22T06:56:57Z
dc.date.available
2021-11-04T16:43:45Z
dc.date.issued
2021-11
dc.identifier.issn
1748-9326
dc.identifier.issn
1748-9318
dc.identifier.other
10.1088/1748-9326/ac30f9
en_US
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/511114
dc.identifier.doi
10.3929/ethz-b-000511114
dc.description.abstract
The uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis is accompanied by an inevitable loss of water vapor through the stomata of leaves. The rate of leaf-level CO2 assimilation per unit stomatal conductance, i.e., intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi), is thus a key characteristic of terrestrial ecosystem functioning that is central to the global hydroclimate system. Empirical evidence and theory suggest a positive response of forest water-use efficiency to increased CO2 levels globally. Although evidence exists for a positive effect of ecosystem nitrogen (N) inputs on WUEi, it is not clear how trends in atmospheric N deposition have affected WUEi in the past. Here we combine twentieth-century climate and nitrogen deposition with stable isotope signature in tree rings and document a WUEi trend reversal at two sites in Switzerland, that matches the timing of a trend reversal in atmospheric N deposition. Using Generalized Additive Models, we fitted observed WUEi time series to multiple environmental covariates. This suggested N deposition to have a significant effect on long-term WUEi at the site that was exposed to higher N deposition levels. The ratio of the increase in WUEi in response to increase in CO2 (dWUEi/dCO2) declined by 96% after 1980 (from 0.53 to 0.02) in the beech forest and declined by 72% in the spruce forest (from 0.46 to 0.13) concurrent with a sharp decline in N deposition. Using the GAM model for two scenarios, we show that had N deposition levels not declined after 1980s, WUEi would have increased more strongly in response to increasing CO2. Although the increase in N deposition was limited to the 1950-1980 decades and the signals have declined with improvements in air quality across Europe, the role of atmospheric pollution must be reconsidered in interpretation of tree ring studies and for building environmental proxies that are pivotal to understanding future sink capacity of terrestrial ecosystems in response to climate change.
en_US
dc.format
application/pdf
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
IOP Publishing
en_US
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
Photosynthesis
en_US
dc.subject
Transpiration
en_US
dc.subject
Stable carbon isotopes
en_US
dc.subject
Tree rings
en_US
dc.subject
Climate change
en_US
dc.title
Effect of nitrogen deposition on centennial forest water-use efficiency
en_US
dc.type
Journal Article
dc.rights.license
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
dc.date.published
2021-10-19
ethz.journal.title
Environmental Research Letters
ethz.journal.volume
16
en_US
ethz.journal.issue
11
en_US
ethz.journal.abbreviated
Environ. Res. Lett.
ethz.pages.start
114036
en_US
ethz.size
13 p.
en_US
ethz.version.deposit
publishedVersion
en_US
ethz.grant
ICOS-CH Phase 2
en_US
ethz.grant
iTREE-Long-term variability of tree growth in a changing environment - identifying physiological mechanisms using stable C and O isotopes in tree rings.
en_US
ethz.identifier.wos
ethz.identifier.scopus
ethz.publication.place
Bristol
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02350 - Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften / Dep. of Environmental Systems Science::02703 - Institut für Agrarwissenschaften / Institute of Agricultural Sciences::03648 - Buchmann, Nina / Buchmann, Nina
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02350 - Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften / Dep. of Environmental Systems Science::02703 - Institut für Agrarwissenschaften / Institute of Agricultural Sciences::09678 - Stocker, Benjamin David (ehemalig) / Stocker, Benjamin David (former)
en_US
ethz.leitzahl.certified
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02350 - Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften / Dep. of Environmental Systems Science::02703 - Institut für Agrarwissenschaften / Institute of Agricultural Sciences::03648 - Buchmann, Nina / Buchmann, Nina
en_US
ethz.leitzahl.certified
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02350 - Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften / Dep. of Environmental Systems Science::02703 - Institut für Agrarwissenschaften / Institute of Agricultural Sciences::09678 - Stocker, Benjamin David (ehemalig) / Stocker, Benjamin David (former)
en_US
ethz.grant.agreementno
173691
ethz.grant.agreementno
136295
ethz.grant.fundername
SNF
ethz.grant.fundername
SNF
ethz.grant.funderDoi
10.13039/501100001711
ethz.grant.funderDoi
10.13039/501100001711
ethz.grant.program
Forschungsinfrastrukturen
ethz.grant.program
Sinergia
ethz.date.deposited
2021-10-21T20:54:54Z
ethz.source
FORM
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Open access
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2021-11-04T16:43:55Z
ethz.rosetta.lastUpdated
2023-02-06T23:17:54Z
ethz.rosetta.exportRequired
true
ethz.rosetta.versionExported
true
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