Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world

David S. Ellsworth; Kristine Y. Crous; Martin G. De Kauwe; Lore T. Verryckt; Daniel Goll; Sönke Zaehle; Keith J. Bloomfield; Philippe Ciais; Lucas A. Cernusak; Tomas F. Domingues; Mirindi Eric Dusenge; Sabrina Garcia; Rossella Guerrieri; F. Yoko Ishida; Ivan A. Janssens; Tanaka Kenzo; Tomoaki Ichie; Belinda E. Medlyn; Patrick Meir; Richard J. Norby; Peter B. Reich; Lucy Rowland; Louis S. Santiago; Yan Sun; Johan Uddling; Anthony P. Walker; K. W.Lasantha K. Weerasinghe; Martine J. van de Weg; Yun Bing Zhang; Jiao Lin Zhang; Ian J. Wright

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0

Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world

David S. Ellsworth, Kristine Y. Crous, Martin G. De Kauwe, Lore T. Verryckt, Daniel Goll, Sönke Zaehle, Keith J. Bloomfield, Philippe Ciais, Lucas A. Cernusak, Tomas F. Domingues, Mirindi Eric Dusenge, Sabrina Garcia, Rossella Guerrieri, F. Yoko Ishida, Ivan A. Janssens, Tanaka Kenzo, Tomoaki Ichie, Belinda E. Medlyn, Patrick Meir, Richard J. NorbyPeter B. Reich, Lucy Rowland, Louis S. Santiago, Yan Sun, Johan Uddling, Anthony P. Walker, K. W.Lasantha K. Weerasinghe, Martine J. van de Weg, Yun Bing Zhang, Jiao Lin Zhang, Ian J. Wright

Ecosystem Processes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Tropical forests take up more carbon (C) from the atmosphere per annum by photosynthesis than any other type of vegetation. Phosphorus (P) limitations to C uptake are paramount for tropical and subtropical forests around the globe. Yet the generality of photosynthesis-P relationships underlying these limitations are in question, and hence are not represented well in terrestrial biosphere models. Here we demonstrate the dependence of photosynthesis and underlying processes on both leaf N and P concentrations. The regulation of photosynthetic capacity by P was similar across four continents. Implementing P constraints in the ORCHIDEE-CNP model, gross photosynthesis was reduced by 36% across the tropics and subtropics relative to traditional N constraints and unlimiting leaf P. Our results provide a quantitative relationship for the P dependence for photosynthesis for the front-end of global terrestrial C models that is consistent with canopy leaf measurements.

Original language	English
Article number	5005
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0
State	Published - Dec 2022

Funding

This work was supported in part by grants from the Australian Research Council Discovery scheme (grants DP160102452 and DP210100115) and the NSW Research Attraction and Acceleration Program (independent grants to D.S.E. and M.D.K.). D.S.E. also acknowledges research fellowships through the Chinese Academy of Sciences President\u2019s International Fellowship Initiative, Grant No. 2018VBA0015, and the German Academic Exchange program (DAAD). M.D.K. acknowledge support from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CE170100023), the ARC Discovery Grant (DP190101823). I.J.W. acknowledges support by Australian Research Council (DP170103410). Y.S., P.C., D.S.G., L.T.V. and I.A.J. are funded by the \u201CIMBALANCE-P\u201D project of the European Research Council (ERC-2013-SyG-610028). A.P.W. was also supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US DOE under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. J.L.Z. received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31870385) and the CAS 135 program (2017XTBG-F01). K.J.B., T.F.D., F.Y.I. and P.M. were supported by the UK National Environment Research Council \u2018Tropical Biomes in Transition (TROBIT)\u2019 consortium via research grant NE/D01185x/1 to the University of Edinburgh. T.F.D. and S.G. received funds from USAID for funding via the PEER program (grant agreement AID-OAA-A-11-00012). The contribution of P.R. was supported by the U.S. NSF Biological Integration Institutes grant DBI-2021898.

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Ellsworth, D. S., Crous, K. Y., De Kauwe, M. G., Verryckt, L. T., Goll, D., Zaehle, S., Bloomfield, K. J., Ciais, P., Cernusak, L. A., Domingues, T. F., Dusenge, M. E., Garcia, S., Guerrieri, R., Ishida, F. Y., Janssens, I. A., Kenzo, T., Ichie, T., Medlyn, B. E., Meir, P., ... Wright, I. J. (2022). Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 5005. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0

@article{90158c3470e54b7097b8f16c5fa30fce,

title = "Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world",

abstract = "Tropical forests take up more carbon (C) from the atmosphere per annum by photosynthesis than any other type of vegetation. Phosphorus (P) limitations to C uptake are paramount for tropical and subtropical forests around the globe. Yet the generality of photosynthesis-P relationships underlying these limitations are in question, and hence are not represented well in terrestrial biosphere models. Here we demonstrate the dependence of photosynthesis and underlying processes on both leaf N and P concentrations. The regulation of photosynthetic capacity by P was similar across four continents. Implementing P constraints in the ORCHIDEE-CNP model, gross photosynthesis was reduced by 36% across the tropics and subtropics relative to traditional N constraints and unlimiting leaf P. Our results provide a quantitative relationship for the P dependence for photosynthesis for the front-end of global terrestrial C models that is consistent with canopy leaf measurements.",

author = "Ellsworth, {David S.} and Crous, {Kristine Y.} and {De Kauwe}, {Martin G.} and Verryckt, {Lore T.} and Daniel Goll and S{\"o}nke Zaehle and Bloomfield, {Keith J.} and Philippe Ciais and Cernusak, {Lucas A.} and Domingues, {Tomas F.} and Dusenge, {Mirindi Eric} and Sabrina Garcia and Rossella Guerrieri and Ishida, {F. Yoko} and Janssens, {Ivan A.} and Tanaka Kenzo and Tomoaki Ichie and Medlyn, {Belinda E.} and Patrick Meir and Norby, {Richard J.} and Reich, {Peter B.} and Lucy Rowland and Santiago, {Louis S.} and Yan Sun and Johan Uddling and Walker, {Anthony P.} and Weerasinghe, {K. W.Lasantha K.} and {van de Weg}, {Martine J.} and Zhang, {Yun Bing} and Zhang, {Jiao Lin} and Wright, {Ian J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

journal = "Nature Communications",

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Ellsworth, DS, Crous, KY, De Kauwe, MG, Verryckt, LT, Goll, D, Zaehle, S, Bloomfield, KJ, Ciais, P, Cernusak, LA, Domingues, TF, Dusenge, ME, Garcia, S, Guerrieri, R, Ishida, FY, Janssens, IA, Kenzo, T, Ichie, T, Medlyn, BE, Meir, P, Norby, RJ, Reich, PB, Rowland, L, Santiago, LS, Sun, Y, Uddling, J, Walker, AP, Weerasinghe, KWLK, van de Weg, MJ, Zhang, YB, Zhang, JL & Wright, IJ 2022, 'Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world', Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 1, 5005. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0

TY - JOUR

T1 - Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world

AU - Ellsworth, David S.

AU - Crous, Kristine Y.

AU - De Kauwe, Martin G.

AU - Verryckt, Lore T.

AU - Goll, Daniel

AU - Zaehle, Sönke

AU - Bloomfield, Keith J.

AU - Ciais, Philippe

AU - Cernusak, Lucas A.

AU - Domingues, Tomas F.

AU - Dusenge, Mirindi Eric

AU - Garcia, Sabrina

AU - Guerrieri, Rossella

AU - Ishida, F. Yoko

AU - Janssens, Ivan A.

AU - Kenzo, Tanaka

AU - Ichie, Tomoaki

AU - Medlyn, Belinda E.

AU - Meir, Patrick

AU - Norby, Richard J.

AU - Reich, Peter B.

AU - Rowland, Lucy

AU - Santiago, Louis S.

AU - Sun, Yan

AU - Uddling, Johan

AU - Walker, Anthony P.

AU - Weerasinghe, K. W.Lasantha K.

AU - van de Weg, Martine J.

AU - Zhang, Yun Bing

AU - Zhang, Jiao Lin

AU - Wright, Ian J.

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Tropical forests take up more carbon (C) from the atmosphere per annum by photosynthesis than any other type of vegetation. Phosphorus (P) limitations to C uptake are paramount for tropical and subtropical forests around the globe. Yet the generality of photosynthesis-P relationships underlying these limitations are in question, and hence are not represented well in terrestrial biosphere models. Here we demonstrate the dependence of photosynthesis and underlying processes on both leaf N and P concentrations. The regulation of photosynthetic capacity by P was similar across four continents. Implementing P constraints in the ORCHIDEE-CNP model, gross photosynthesis was reduced by 36% across the tropics and subtropics relative to traditional N constraints and unlimiting leaf P. Our results provide a quantitative relationship for the P dependence for photosynthesis for the front-end of global terrestrial C models that is consistent with canopy leaf measurements.

AB - Tropical forests take up more carbon (C) from the atmosphere per annum by photosynthesis than any other type of vegetation. Phosphorus (P) limitations to C uptake are paramount for tropical and subtropical forests around the globe. Yet the generality of photosynthesis-P relationships underlying these limitations are in question, and hence are not represented well in terrestrial biosphere models. Here we demonstrate the dependence of photosynthesis and underlying processes on both leaf N and P concentrations. The regulation of photosynthetic capacity by P was similar across four continents. Implementing P constraints in the ORCHIDEE-CNP model, gross photosynthesis was reduced by 36% across the tropics and subtropics relative to traditional N constraints and unlimiting leaf P. Our results provide a quantitative relationship for the P dependence for photosynthesis for the front-end of global terrestrial C models that is consistent with canopy leaf measurements.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0

DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0

M3 - Article

C2 - 36008385

AN - SCOPUS:85136692408

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 13

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 5005

ER -

Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world

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