Publication Abstracts

Skinner et al. 2018

Skinner, C.B., C.J. Poulsen, and J.S. Mankin, 2018: Amplification of heat extremes by plant CO2 physiological forcing. Nat. Commun., 9, no. 1, 1094, doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03472-w.

Plants influence extreme heat events by regulating land-atmosphere water and energy exchanges. The contribution of plants to changes in future heat extremes will depend on the responses of vegetation growth and physiology to the direct and indirect effects of elevated CO2. Here we use a suite of earth system models to disentangle the radiative versus vegetation effects of elevated CO2 on heat wave characteristics. Vegetation responses to a quadrupling of CO2 increase summer heat wave occurrence by 20 days or more — 30-50% of the radiative response alone — across tropical and mid-to-high latitude forests. These increases are caused by CO2 physiological forcing, which diminishes transpiration and its associated cooling effect, and reduces clouds and precipitation. In contrast to recent suggestions, our results indicate CO2-driven vegetation changes enhance future heat wave frequency and intensity in most vegetated regions despite transpiration-driven soil moisture savings and increases in aboveground biomass from CO2 fertilization.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{sk02000c,
  author={Skinner, C. B. and Poulsen, C. J. and Mankin, J. S.},
  title={Amplification of heat extremes by plant CO2 physiological forcing},
  year={2018},
  journal={Nature Communication},
  volume={9},
  number={1},
  pages={1094},
  doi={10.1038/s41467-018-03472-w},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - sk02000c
AU  - Skinner, C. B.
AU  - Poulsen, C. J.
AU  - Mankin, J. S.
PY  - 2018
TI  - Amplification of heat extremes by plant CO2 physiological forcing
JA  - Nat. Commun.
JO  - Nature Communication
VL  - 9
IS  - 1
SP  - 1094
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-018-03472-w
ER  -

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