Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

Wenping Yuan; Shuguang Liu; Wenjie Dong; Shunlin Liang; Shuqing Zhao; Jingming Chen; Wenfang Xu; Xianglan Li; Alan Barr; T. Andrew Black; Wende Yan; Mike L. Goulden; Liisa Kulmala; Anders Lindroth; Hank A. Margolis; Yojiro Matsuura; Eddy Moors; Michiel van der Molen; Takeshi Ohta; Kim Pilegaard; Andrej Varlagin; Timo Vesala

doi:10.1038/ncomms5270

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

Wenping Yuan, Shuguang Liu, Wenjie Dong, Shunlin Liang, Shuqing Zhao, Jingming Chen, Wenfang Xu, Xianglan Li, Alan Barr, T. Andrew Black, Wende Yan, Mike L. Goulden, Liisa Kulmala, Anders Lindroth, Hank A. Margolis, Yojiro Matsuura, Eddy Moors, Michiel van der Molen, Takeshi Ohta, Kim PilegaardAndrej Varlagin, Timo Vesala

Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	5
ISSN	2041-1723
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5270
Publication status	Published - 2014

Keywords

Canada North America Nearctic region
boreal biome
gross primary production\
photosynthesis
Bryophyta Plantae (Bryophytes, Nonvascular Plants, Plants) - Musci [21600] moss common
Plantae (Plants, Vascular Plants) - Tracheophyta [22000] vascular plant common
carbon 7440-44-0 signaling
07502, Ecology: environmental biology - General and methods
07506, Ecology: environmental biology - Plant
10510, Biophysics - Bioenergetics: electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation
50528, Botany: general and systematic - Floristics and distribution
51506, Plant physiology - Photosynthesis
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Ecology, Environmental Sciences
Population Studies
satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index mathematical and computer techniques
Bioenergetics
Biogeography
Terrestrial Ecology
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
LIGHT-USE EFFICIENCY
NET PRIMARY PRODUCTION
LEAF-AREA
TERRESTRIAL BIOSPHERE
FOREST ECOSYSTEM
CLIMATE-CHANGE
ABSORBED PAR
CO2 FLUX
SATELLITE
PRODUCTIVITY

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/ncomms5270

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Yuan, W., Liu, S., Dong, W., Liang, S., Zhao, S., Chen, J., Xu, W., Li, X., Barr, A., Black, T. A., Yan, W., Goulden, M. L., Kulmala, L., Lindroth, A., Margolis, H. A., Matsuura, Y., Moors, E., van der Molen, M., Ohta, T., ... Vesala, T. (2014). Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome. Nature Communications, 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5270

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title = "Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome",

abstract = "The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.",

keywords = "Canada North America Nearctic region, boreal biome, gross primary production\, photosynthesis, Bryophyta Plantae (Bryophytes, Nonvascular Plants, Plants) - Musci [21600] moss common, Plantae (Plants, Vascular Plants) - Tracheophyta [22000] vascular plant common, carbon 7440-44-0 signaling, 07502, Ecology: environmental biology - General and methods, 07506, Ecology: environmental biology - Plant, 10510, Biophysics - Bioenergetics: electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation, 50528, Botany: general and systematic - Floristics and distribution, 51506, Plant physiology - Photosynthesis, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Population Studies, satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index mathematical and computer techniques, Bioenergetics, Biogeography, Terrestrial Ecology, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, LIGHT-USE EFFICIENCY, NET PRIMARY PRODUCTION, LEAF-AREA, TERRESTRIAL BIOSPHERE, FOREST ECOSYSTEM, CLIMATE-CHANGE, ABSORBED PAR, CO2 FLUX, SATELLITE, PRODUCTIVITY",

author = "Wenping Yuan and Shuguang Liu and Wenjie Dong and Shunlin Liang and Shuqing Zhao and Jingming Chen and Wenfang Xu and Xianglan Li and Alan Barr and Black, {T. Andrew} and Wende Yan and Goulden, {Mike L.} and Liisa Kulmala and Anders Lindroth and Margolis, {Hank A.} and Yojiro Matsuura and Eddy Moors and {van der Molen}, Michiel and Takeshi Ohta and Kim Pilegaard and Andrej Varlagin and Timo Vesala",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms5270",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Research",

}

Yuan, W, Liu, S, Dong, W, Liang, S, Zhao, S, Chen, J, Xu, W, Li, X, Barr, A, Black, TA, Yan, W, Goulden, ML, Kulmala, L, Lindroth, A, Margolis, HA, Matsuura, Y, Moors, E, van der Molen, M, Ohta, T, Pilegaard, K, Varlagin, A & Vesala, T 2014, 'Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome', Nature Communications, vol. 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5270

TY - JOUR

T1 - Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

AU - Yuan, Wenping

AU - Liu, Shuguang

AU - Dong, Wenjie

AU - Liang, Shunlin

AU - Zhao, Shuqing

AU - Chen, Jingming

AU - Xu, Wenfang

AU - Li, Xianglan

AU - Barr, Alan

AU - Black, T. Andrew

AU - Yan, Wende

AU - Goulden, Mike L.

AU - Kulmala, Liisa

AU - Lindroth, Anders

AU - Margolis, Hank A.

AU - Matsuura, Yojiro

AU - Moors, Eddy

AU - van der Molen, Michiel

AU - Ohta, Takeshi

AU - Pilegaard, Kim

AU - Varlagin, Andrej

AU - Vesala, Timo

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.

AB - The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.

KW - Canada North America Nearctic region

KW - boreal biome

KW - gross primary production\

KW - photosynthesis

KW - Bryophyta Plantae (Bryophytes, Nonvascular Plants, Plants) - Musci [21600] moss common

KW - Plantae (Plants, Vascular Plants) - Tracheophyta [22000] vascular plant common

KW - carbon 7440-44-0 signaling

KW - 07502, Ecology: environmental biology - General and methods

KW - 07506, Ecology: environmental biology - Plant

KW - 10510, Biophysics - Bioenergetics: electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation

KW - 50528, Botany: general and systematic - Floristics and distribution

KW - 51506, Plant physiology - Photosynthesis

KW - Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

KW - Ecology, Environmental Sciences

KW - Population Studies

KW - satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index mathematical and computer techniques

KW - Bioenergetics

KW - Biogeography

KW - Terrestrial Ecology

KW - MULTIDISCIPLINARY

KW - LIGHT-USE EFFICIENCY

KW - NET PRIMARY PRODUCTION

KW - LEAF-AREA

KW - TERRESTRIAL BIOSPHERE

KW - FOREST ECOSYSTEM

KW - CLIMATE-CHANGE

KW - ABSORBED PAR

KW - CO2 FLUX

KW - SATELLITE

KW - PRODUCTIVITY

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5270

DO - 10.1038/ncomms5270

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24967601

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

ER -

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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