Elevated Wildfire and Ecosystem Carbon Loss Risks Due to Plant Hydraulic Stress Functions: A Global Modeling Perspective
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Model Description
2.2. Fire Module
2.3. Plant Hydraulic Stress Configuration
3. Results
3.1. Changes in Ecosystem Water Transports
3.2. Fire Count Changes
3.3. Fire Induced Carbon Emissions and Ecosystem Net Primary Productivity
3.4. Plant Hydraulic Stress Function Impacts from the Global Perspective
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
- From the global perspective, the PHS functions increased plant transpiration via hydraulic redistribution (HR) of soil water by roots, and increased fire occurrence (count), fire-induced carbon loss, and ecosystem carbon gain (i.e., net primary productivity) by 72%, 49%, and 15%, respectively.
- Spatially, the PHS functions greatly promoted fire occurrence and fire-induced carbon emissions in circumboreal forests and tropical savannas, while limited changes or even decreases occurred in equatorial rainforests.
- The downward HR process in the humid rainforests transported rainwater into deep soil layers, and strict stomatal regulation of the tropical trees restricted transpiration increase under atmospheric aridity, both of which helped to buffer the rainforests against drought and thus decreased fire risk.
- The upward HR process in the dry (woody) savannas increased water loss via soil evaporation and transpiration of the shallow-rooted grasses. The tree–grass competition for limited soil water in the savannas benefited soil evaporation, which might increase plant mortality and fire risk.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Wu, H.; Fu, C.; Zhang, L.; Wu, H. Elevated Wildfire and Ecosystem Carbon Loss Risks Due to Plant Hydraulic Stress Functions: A Global Modeling Perspective. Fire 2022, 5, 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire5060187
Wu H, Fu C, Zhang L, Wu H. Elevated Wildfire and Ecosystem Carbon Loss Risks Due to Plant Hydraulic Stress Functions: A Global Modeling Perspective. Fire. 2022; 5(6):187. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire5060187
Chicago/Turabian StyleWu, Haohao, Congsheng Fu, Lingling Zhang, and Huawu Wu. 2022. "Elevated Wildfire and Ecosystem Carbon Loss Risks Due to Plant Hydraulic Stress Functions: A Global Modeling Perspective" Fire 5, no. 6: 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire5060187