Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental component of plant organisms. Most of the Earth System Models (ESMs) project increases in future Net Primary Productivity (NPP) due to climate warming. However, large uncertainty exists in projected NPP due to future P limitation. Subtropical China is a region with high vegetation NPP, but its forests are mostly P limited. In this study, we used the simulations of Atmospheric-Vegetation Interaction Model 2 (AVIM2) to diagnose the P limitation in forests in this region, and found that climate warming in the period of 1951-2010 had enhanced P limitation. The P demand during 1981-2010 for Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest (EBF) and Evergreen Needle-leaved Forest (ENF) are 1.67 and 1.8 times than that during 1951-1980, respectively. The observed current Available Soil P (ASP) density in 4 representative forest sites in subtropical China varied between 940 and 2365 and the P demands account for 0.86% to 25.5% of the ASP for the period of 1951-2010. Future P demands are estimated to account for 3.2% to 68.3% of the current ASP at the end of this century for RCP8.5. Therefore, forests, especially plantations, in subtropical China are facing high risks of P limitation.
1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geog Sci & Nat Resources Res, Key Lab Ecosyst Network Observat & Modeling, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China 2.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Beijing 100049, Peoples R China 3.Chinese Acad Agr Sci, Inst Environm & Sustainable Dev Agr, Minist Agr, Key Lab Dryland Agr, Beijing 100081, Peoples R China 4.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geog Sci & Nat Resources Res, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China 5.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Coll Resources & Environm, Beijing 100049, Peoples R China 6.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Mt Hazards & Environm, Key Lab Mt Surface Proc & Ecol Regulat, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan, Peoples R China 7.Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Vegetat & Environm Change, Inst Bot, Beijing 100093, Peoples R China 8.Chinese Acad Sci, South China Bot Garden, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Appl Bot, Guangzhou 510650, Guangdong, Peoples R China
Recommended Citation:
Wang, Na,Huang, Mei,Gu, Fengxue,et al. Diagnosing Phosphorus Limitation in Subtropical Forests in China under Climate Warming[J]. SUSTAINABILITY,2019-01-01,11(8)