Article: Consequences of Considering Carbon-Nitrogen Interactions on the Feedbacks between Climate and the Terrestrial Carbon Cycle

ABSTRACT

The impact of carbon-nitrogen dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems on the interaction between the carbon cycle and climate is studied using an earth system model of intermediate complexity, the MIT Integrated Global Systems Model (IGSM). Numerical simulations were carried out with t wo versions of the IGSM's Terrestrial Ecosystems Model, one with and one without carbon-nitrogen dynamics.

Simulations show that consideration of carbon-nitrogen interactions not only limits the effect of CO2 fertilization but also changes the sign of the feedback between the climate and terrestrial carbon cycle. In the absence of carbon-nitrogen interactions, surface warming significantly reduces carbon ...

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