Non-symmetric responses of leaf onset date to natural warming and cooling in northern ecosystems

The northern hemisphere has experienced regional cooling, especially during the global warming hiatus (1998-2012) due to ocean energy redistribution. However, the lack of studies about the natural cooling effects hampers our understanding of vegetation responses to climate change. Using 15,125 ground phenological time series at 3,620 sites since the 1950s and 31-year satellite greenness observations (1982-2012) covering the warming hiatus period, we show a stronger response of leaf onset date (LOD) to natural cooling than to warming, i.e. the delay of LOD caused by 1°C cooling is larger than the advance of LOD with 1°C warming. This might be because cooling leads to larger chilling accumulation and heating requirements for leaf onset, but this non-symmetric LOD response is partially offset by warming-related drying. Moreover, spring greening magnitude, in terms of satellite-based greenness and productivity, is more sensitive to LOD changes in the warming area than in the cooling. These results highlight the importance of considering non-symmetric responses of spring greening to warming and cooling when predicting vegetation-climate feedbacks.

Wang, JianOhio State University (author)
Ciais, PhilippeVersailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University (author)
Ballantyne, AshleyUniversity of Montana Missoula,Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University (author)
Yu, KailiangVersailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University,Princeton University (author)
Zhang, WenxinLund University,Lunds universitet,BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate,Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC),Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten,MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system,Institutionen för naturgeografi och ekosystemvetenskap,Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC),Faculty of Science,Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science(Swepub:lu)we4544zh (author)
Xiao, JingfengUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham (author)
Ritter, FrançoisVersailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University (author)
Liu, ZhihuaShenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (author)
Wang, XufengNorthwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (author)
Li, XiaojunUniversity of Bordeaux (author)
Peng, ShouzhangNorthwest A&F University (author)
Ma, ChanghuiChinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (author)
Zhou, Chenghu (author)
Li, Zhao LiangChinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (author)
Xie, YaowenLanzhou University (author)
Ye, Jian ShengLanzhou University (author)
Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou University (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: He, Lei; Wang, Jian; Ciais, Philippe; Ballantyne, Ashl ...; Yu, Kailiang; Zhang, Wenxin; show more...; Xiao, Jingfeng; Ritter, François; Liu, Zhihua; Wang, Xufeng; Li, Xiaojun; Peng, Shouzhang; Ma, Changhui; Zhou, Chenghu; Li, Zhao Liang; Xie, Yaowen; Ye, Jian Sheng; show less...

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Climate Research

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