Vertical canopy gradients of respiration drive plant carbon budgets and leaf area index.

ABSTRACT: Despite its importance for determining global carbon fluxes, leaf respiration remains poorly constrained in land surface models (LSMs). We tested the sensitivity of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model Land Model - Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (ELM-FATES) to variation in the canopy gradients of leaf maintenance respiration (R_dark). We ran global and point simulations varying the canopy gradient of R_dark to explore the impacts on forest structure, composition, and carbon cycling. In global simulations, steeper canopy gradients of R_dark lead to increased understory survival and leaf biomass. Leaf area index (LAI) increased up to 77% in tropical regions compared with the default parameterization, improving alignment with remotely se

SUBMITTER: Needham JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11883058 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature