global change biology2019: biogeochemistry · 18.02.2019 global change biology 2019 -intro...

Global Change Biology 2019: Biogeochemistry18 February 2019

Susanne Burri

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 2

…Global change encompasses climate change, but it also includes other critical drivers of environmental change that may interact with climate change, such as land use change, the alteration of the water cycle, changes in biogeochemical cycles, and biodiversity loss.(US Global Change Research Program)

Global Change

What is biogeochemistry?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 3

Biogeochemistry is the study of changes in the earth system due to the combined activities of chemical, geological, and biological processes and reactions. (Monson & Baldocchi 2014, p. 2)

Biogeochemistry is a unique, interdisciplinary science(Schlesinger et al. 1991, p. 3)

What is biogeochemistry?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 4

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 5

Natural biogeochemical cyclesEvap

otranspiratio

n

Precipita

tion

Water cycle

Respira

tion an

dfire

Photosynthesis

Carbon cycle

(Ocean biogeochemistry not tobe addressed in this course)

Carbon cycle

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 6

Schulze et al. (in production) Plant Ecology. Springer, 2nd editionNumbers from Cias et al. (2013), IPCC2013

123 PgC yr‐1 119 PgC yr‐1

80 ‐ 100 Pg C yr‐1

Carbon cycle

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 7

Högberg et al. (2001), Nature

x

Tree-girdling experiment in Sweden(Removal of bark at 1.5m)

Carbon cycle

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 8

Schulze et al. (in production) Plant Ecology. Springer, 2nd editionNumbers from Cias et al. (2013), IPCC2013

123 PgC yr‐1 119 PgC yr‐1

80 ‐ 100 Pg C yr‐1

Is an ecosystem a C source or a sink?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 9

Eugster and Merbold (2015), Soil

Net ecosystem exchange(NEE, µmol m-2 s-1)

The Eddy Covariance Method

Respira

tion

Photosynthesis

Is an ecosystem a C source or a sink?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 10

Etzold (2010), PhD thesis

Net ecosystemexchange

(NEE, µmol m-2 s-1)Davos‐Seehornwald Re

spira

tion (TER

)

Photosynthesis(GPP

)

Is an ecosystem a C source or a sink?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 11

Hörtnagl et al. (unpublished)

Davos‐Seehornwald

20 years of eddycovariance flux data

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 12

Natural biogeochemical cyclesEvap

otranspiratio

n

Precipita

tion

Water cycle

Respira

tion an

dfire

Photosynthesis

Carbon cycle

Anaerobicrespira

tion

Oxida

tion in so

ils

CH4 fluxes in forests

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 13

Davos‐Seehornwald

Burri et al. (unpublished)

Oxida

tion in so

ils

CH4 fluxes in forests – surprises!

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 14

Welch et al. (2018), Global Change Biology

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 15

Natural biogeochemical cyclesEvap

otranspiratio

n

Precipita

tion

Water cycle

Respira

tion an

dfire

Photosynthesis

Carbon cycle

Anaerobicrespira

tion

Oxida

tion in so

ils

Denitrificatio

n

Soils

unde

rnaturalvegetatio

n

Nitrogen cycle

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 16

Human impact on biogeochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycleWater cycle Carbon cycle

Agriculture / Forestry

Agric

ulture

Water

man

agem

ent

Livestock, Rice cultivatio

n

Land

 use

chan

ge

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 17

Human impact on biogeochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycleWater cycle Carbon cycle

Agriculture / Forestry

Land

 use

chan

ge

Agric

ulture

Water

man

agem

ent

Industry

Land

fills, waste, fossil fu

els, 

biom

assb

urning

Fossil fuels, cem

ent

prod

uctio

n

Fossil fuels, biomassb

urning

from

atmosph

ericde

position

Livestock, Rice cultivatio

n

N2O fluxes in a managed grassland

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 18

Chamau

Merbold et al. (2014), Global Change Biology

Ploughing 1st cutMineral fertilizer

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 19

Human impact on biogeochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycleWater cycle Carbon cycle

Agriculture / Forestry

Agric

ulture

Water

man

agem

ent

IndustryFossil fuels, biomassb

urning

from

atmosph

ericde

position

Fossil fuels, cem

ent

prod

uctio

n

Land

fills, waste, fossil fu

els, 

biom

assb

urning

Land

 use

chan

ge

Livestock, Rice cultivatio

n

Christen (2014), Urban Climate

Biogeochemical cycles in urban areas

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 20

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 21

Human impact on biogeochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycleWater cycle Carbon cycle

Agriculture / Forestry

Agric

ulture

Water

man

agem

ent

IndustryFossil fuels, biomassb

urning

from

atmosph

ericde

position

INCREASED GHG EFFECT ‐> CLIMATE CHANGE

Fossil fuels, cem

ent

prod

uctio

n

Land

fills, waste, fossil fu

els, 

biom

assb

urning

Land

 use

chan

ge

Livestock, Rice cultivatio

n

H2O CO2 CH4 N2OAerosol particles Clouds

Infrared absorption

Backscatterof solar radiation

Reflection ofsolar radiation

Cloud condensation

nuclei

GLO

BAL HE

AT BAL

ANCE

LAND

OCEAN

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 22

Impact of climate changebiogeochemical cycles

Nitrogen cycleWater cycle Carbon cycle

Agriculture / Forestry

Agric

ulture

Water

man

agem

ent

IndustryFossil fuels, biomassb

urning

from

atmosph

ericde

position

Fossil fuels, cem

ent

prod

uctio

n

Land

fills, waste, fossil fu

els, 

biom

assb

urning

Land

 use

chan

ge

Livestock, Rice cultivatio

n

Impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycling

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 23

Reichstein et al. (2013), Nature

Impact ofextreme eventson C cycling

Impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycling

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 24

Ciais et al. 2005, Nature)

Summer 2003

Impact of climate change on biogeochemical cycling

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 25

Ciais et al. (2005), Nature

Summer 2003

What is biogeochemistry?

18.02.2019 Global Change Biology 2019 - Intro Biogeochemistry 26

A lot more……complex…diverse…full of surprises, fun!