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An analytical model for relating global terrestrial carbon assimilation with climate and surface conditions using a rate limitation framework
Author(s) -
Yang Yuting,
Donohue Randall J.,
McVicar Tim R.,
Roderick Michael L.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066835
Subject(s) - environmental science , mean squared error , primary production , precipitation , climatology , climate model , atmospheric sciences , carbon cycle , flux (metallurgy) , grid , climate change , meteorology , mathematics , statistics , geology , ecosystem , physics , ecology , oceanography , biology , materials science , geometry , metallurgy
We develop an analytical model for estimating mean annual terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) based on a rate limitation framework. Actual GPP (climatological mean from 1982 to 2010) is calculated as a function of the balance between two GPP potentials defined by the climate (i.e., precipitation and solar radiation) and a third parameter that encodes other environmental variables and modifies the GPP‐climate relationship. The model was tested using observed GPP from 94 flux sites and modeled GPP (using the model tree ensemble approach) at 48,654 (0.5°) grid cells globally. Results show that the model could account for the spatial GPP patterns, with a root‐mean‐square error of 0.70 and 0.65 g C m −2 d −1 and R 2 of 0.79 and 0.92 for the flux site and grid cell scales, respectively. This analytical GPP model shares a similar form with the Budyko hydroclimatological model, which opens the possibility of a general analytical framework to analyze the linked carbon‐water‐energy cycles.