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Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau has a significant role with regard to atmospheric circulation and the monsoon in particular. Changes between a closed plant cover and open bare soil are one of the striking effects of land use degradation observed with unsustainable range management or climate change, but experiments investigating changes of surface properties and processes together with atmospheric feedbacks are rare and have not been undertaken in the world's two largest alpine ecosystems, the alpine steppe and the Kobresia pygmaea pastures of the Tibetan Plateau. We connected measurements of micro-lysimeter, chamber, 13C labelling, and eddy covariance and combined the observations with land surface and atmospheric models, adapted to the highland conditions. This allowed us to analyse how three degradation stages affect the water and carbon cycle of pastures on the landscape scale within the core region of the Kobresia pygmaea ecosystem. The study revealed that increasing degradation of the Kobresia turf affects carbon allocation and strongly reduces the carbon uptake, compromising the function of Kobresia pastures as a carbon sink. Pasture degradation leads to a shift from transpiration to evaporation while a change in the sum of evapotranspiration over a longer period cannot be confirmed. The results show an earlier onset of convection and cloud generation, likely triggered by a shift in evapotranspiration timing when dominated by evaporation. Consequently, precipitation starts earlier and clouds decrease the incoming solar radiation. In summary, the changes in surface properties by pasture degradation found on the highland have a significant influence on larger scales.

Comprendre les relations entre le climat et l'échange de carbone par les écosystèmes terrestres est essentiel pour prédire les niveaux futurs de dioxyde de carbone atmosphérique en raison des effets d'accélération potentiels des rétroactions positives du cycle climat-carbone. Cependant, les relations directement observées entre le climat et l'échange de CO2 terrestre avec l'atmosphère à travers les biomes et les continents font défaut. Nous présentons ici des données décrivant les relations entre l'échange net de carbone par les écosystèmes (NEE) et les facteurs climatiques tels que mesurés à l'aide de la méthode de covariance de Foucault sur 125 sites uniques dans divers écosystèmes sur six continents avec un total de 559 années de site. Nous trouvons que le NEE observé aux sites de covariance tourbillonnaire est (1) une fonction forte de la température annuelle moyenne aux latitudes moyennes et élevées, (2) une fonction forte de la sécheresse aux latitudes moyennes et basses, et (3) une fonction à la fois de la température et de la sécheresse autour de la ceinture moyenne-latitudinale (45°N). La sensibilité du NEE à la température annuelle moyenne se décompose à ~ 16 °C (une valeur seuil de la température annuelle moyenne), au-delà de laquelle aucune augmentation supplémentaire de l'absorption de CO2 avec la température n'a été observée et la sécheresse influence les règles de dépassement de l'influence de la température. Comprender las relaciones entre el clima y el intercambio de carbono por parte de los ecosistemas terrestres es fundamental para predecir los niveles futuros de dióxido de carbono en la atmósfera debido a los posibles efectos aceleradores de las retroalimentaciones positivas del ciclo clima-carbono. Sin embargo, faltan relaciones directamente observadas entre el clima y el intercambio terrestre de CO2 con la atmósfera a través de biomas y continentes. Aquí presentamos datos que describen las relaciones entre el intercambio neto de carbono (NEE) del ecosistema y los factores climáticos medidos utilizando el método de covarianza de remolinos en 125 sitios únicos en varios ecosistemas de seis continentes con un total de 559 años-sitio. Encontramos que la NEE observada en los sitios de covarianza de remolinos es (1) una fuerte función de la temperatura media anual en latitudes medias y altas, (2) una fuerte función de sequedad en latitudes medias y bajas, y (3) una función tanto de la temperatura como de la sequedad alrededor del cinturón latitudinal medio (45°N). La sensibilidad de NEE a la temperatura media anual se rompe a ~ 16 °C (un valor umbral de la temperatura media anual), por encima del cual no se observó ningún aumento adicional de la absorción de CO2 con la temperatura y la influencia de la sequedad anula la influencia de la temperatura. Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climate–carbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid- and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid- and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45°N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at ~ 16 °C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence. يعد فهم العلاقات بين المناخ وتبادل الكربون بواسطة النظم الإيكولوجية الأرضية أمرًا بالغ الأهمية للتنبؤ بالمستويات المستقبلية لثاني أكسيد الكربون في الغلاف الجوي بسبب التأثيرات المتسارعة المحتملة للتغذية المرتدة الإيجابية لدورة المناخ والكربون. ومع ذلك، لا توجد علاقات ملحوظة مباشرة بين المناخ والتبادل الأرضي لثاني أكسيد الكربون مع الغلاف الجوي عبر المناطق الحيوية والقارات. نقدم هنا بيانات تصف العلاقات بين صافي تبادل النظام البيئي للكربون (NEE) والعوامل المناخية كما تم قياسها باستخدام طريقة التباين الدوامي في 125 موقعًا فريدًا في أنظمة بيئية مختلفة عبر ست قارات بإجمالي 559 سنة موقع. نجد أن NEE التي لوحظت في مواقع التباين الدوامي هي (1) وظيفة قوية لمتوسط درجة الحرارة السنوية عند خطوط العرض المتوسطة والعالية، (2) وظيفة قوية للجفاف عند خطوط العرض المتوسطة والمنخفضة، و (3) وظيفة لكل من درجة الحرارة والجفاف حول حزام العرض المتوسط (45درجةشمالاً). تنهار حساسية NEE لمتوسط درجة الحرارة السنوية عند حوالي 16 درجة مئوية (قيمة عتبة لمتوسط درجة الحرارة السنوية)، والتي لم يلاحظ فوقها أي زيادة أخرى في امتصاص ثاني أكسيد الكربون مع درجة الحرارة ويتجاوز تأثير الجفاف تأثير درجة الحرارة.

Abstract. Canopy structure is one of the most important vegetation characteristics for land–atmosphere interactions, as it determines the energy and scalar exchanges between the land surface and the overlying air mass. In this study we evaluated the performance of a newly developed multi-layer energy budget in the ORCHIDEE-CAN v1.0 land surface model (Organising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems – CANopy), which simulates canopy structure and can be coupled to an atmospheric model using an implicit coupling procedure. We aim to provide a set of acceptable parameter values for a range of forest types. Top-canopy and sub-canopy flux observations from eight sites were collected in order to conduct this evaluation. The sites crossed climate zones from temperate to boreal and the vegetation types included deciduous, evergreen broad-leaved and evergreen needle-leaved forest with a maximum leaf area index (LAI; all-sided) ranging from 3.5 to 7.0. The parametrization approach proposed in this study was based on three selected physical processes – namely the diffusion, advection, and turbulent mixing within the canopy. Short-term sub-canopy observations and long-term surface fluxes were used to calibrate the parameters in the sub-canopy radiation, turbulence, and resistance modules with an automatic tuning process. The multi-layer model was found to capture the dynamics of sub-canopy turbulence, temperature, and energy fluxes. The performance of the new multi-layer model was further compared against the existing single-layer model. Although the multi-layer model simulation results showed few or no improvements to both the nighttime energy balance and energy partitioning during winter compared with a single-layer model simulation, the increased model complexity does provide a more detailed description of the canopy micrometeorology of various forest types. The multi-layer model links to potential future environmental and ecological studies such as the assessment of in-canopy species vulnerability to climate change, the climate effects of disturbance intensities and frequencies, and the consequences of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from the terrestrial ecosystem.