Convergence in phosphorus constraints to photosynthesis in forests around the world

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

Lucas Cernusak

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.

Journal

Nature Communications

Publication Name

N/A

Volume

ISBN/ISSN

2041-1723

Edition

N/A

Issue

N/A

Pages Count

Location

N/A

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1038/s41467-022-32545-0