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TURC: A diagnostic model of continental gross primary productivity and net primary productivity
Author(s) -
Ruimy Anne,
Dedieu Gérard,
Saugier Bernard
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/96gb00349
Subject(s) - primary production , environmental science , photosynthetically active radiation , productivity , biomass (ecology) , temperate climate , vegetation (pathology) , subtropics , atmospheric sciences , leaf area index , temperate rainforest , ecosystem , ecology , photosynthesis , geology , botany , biology , medicine , macroeconomics , pathology , economics
TURC, a diagnostic model for the estimation of continental gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP), is presented. This model uses a remotely sensed vegetation index to estimate the fraction of solar radiation absorbed by canopies, and an original parameterization of the relationship between absorbed solar radiation and GPP, based on measurements of CO 2 fluxes above plant canopies. An independent, uncalibrated model of autotrophic maintenance and growth respiration is parameterized from literature data, and uses databases on temperature, biomass, and remotely sensed vegetation index. This model results in global estimates of GPP and NPP of 133.1 and 62.3 Gt(C) per year, respectively, which is consistent with commonly admitted values. The ratio of autotrophic respiration to GPP is about 70% for equatorial rain forests and 50% for temperate forests, as a result the highest predicted NPP are in tropical savannas of Africa and South America, and in temperate, highly cultivated zones of North America, not in equatorial rain forest zones. Conversion efficiencies defined as the ratio of yearly integrated NPP to absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) compare relatively well with a previous compilation of literature values, except for ecosystems with probable reduction of conversion efficiency due to water stress. Several sensitivity studies are performed on some input data sets, model assumptions, and model parameters.