Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile
<p>Vegetation is crucial for modulating rates of denudation and landscape evolution, as it stabilizes and protects hillslopes and intercepts rainfall. Climate conditions and the atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, hereafter [CO<sub>2</sub>], influence the estab...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-10-01
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Series: | Earth Surface Dynamics |
Online Access: | https://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/6/829/2018/esurf-6-829-2018.pdf |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
C. Werner M. Schmid T. A. Ehlers J. P. Fuentes-Espoz J. Steinkamp M. Forrest J. Liakka A. Maldonado T. Hickler T. Hickler |
spellingShingle |
C. Werner M. Schmid T. A. Ehlers J. P. Fuentes-Espoz J. Steinkamp M. Forrest J. Liakka A. Maldonado T. Hickler T. Hickler Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile Earth Surface Dynamics |
author_facet |
C. Werner M. Schmid T. A. Ehlers J. P. Fuentes-Espoz J. Steinkamp M. Forrest J. Liakka A. Maldonado T. Hickler T. Hickler |
author_sort |
C. Werner |
title |
Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile |
title_short |
Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile |
title_full |
Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile |
title_fullStr |
Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of Chile |
title_sort |
effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – part 1: predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the coastal cordillera of chile |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
series |
Earth Surface Dynamics |
issn |
2196-6311 2196-632X |
publishDate |
2018-10-01 |
description |
<p>Vegetation is crucial for modulating rates of denudation and landscape
evolution, as it stabilizes and protects hillslopes and intercepts rainfall.
Climate conditions and the atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, hereafter
[CO<sub>2</sub>], influence the establishment and performance of plants; thus, these factors have a direct
influence on vegetation cover. In addition, vegetation dynamics (competition
for space, light, nutrients, and water) and stochastic events (mortality and
fires) determine the state of vegetation, response times to environmental
perturbations and successional development. In spite of this,
state-of-the-art reconstructions of past transient vegetation changes have not
been accounted for in landscape evolution models. Here, a widely used dynamic
vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) was used to simulate vegetation composition/cover
and surface runoff in Chile for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the mid-Holocene (MH) and the present day (PD).
In addition, transient vegetation simulations were carried out from the LGM to PD for four sites in the Coastal
Cordillera of Chile at a spatial and temporal resolution adequate for
coupling with landscape evolution models.</p><p>A new landform mode was introduced to LPJ-GUESS to enable a better
simulation of vegetation dynamics and state at a sub-pixel resolution and to
allow for future coupling with landscape evolution models operating at
different spatial scales. Using a regionally adapted parameterization,
LPJ-GUESS was capable of reproducing PD potential natural
vegetation along the strong climatic gradients of Chile, and simulated
vegetation cover was also in line with satellite-based observations.
Simulated vegetation during the LGM differed markedly from PD conditions.
Coastal cold temperate rainforests were displaced northward by about
5° and the tree line and vegetation zones were at lower elevations
than PD. Transient vegetation simulations indicate a marked shift in
vegetation composition starting with the past glacial warming that coincides
with a rise in [CO<sub>2</sub>]. Vegetation cover between the sites ranged from
13 % (LGM: 8 %) to 81 % (LGM: 73 %) for the northern Pan de
Azúcar and southern Nahuelbuta sites, respectively, but did not vary by
more than 10 % over the 21 000 year simulation. A sensitivity study suggests
that [CO<sub>2</sub>] is an important driver of vegetation changes and, thereby,
potentially landscape evolution. Comparisons with other paleoclimate model
drivers highlight the importance of model input on simulated vegetation.</p><p>In the near future, we will directly couple LPJ-GUESS to a landscape
evolution model (see companion paper) to build a fully coupled
dynamic-vegetation/landscape evolution model that is forced with
paleoclimate data from atmospheric general circulation models.</p> |
url |
https://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/6/829/2018/esurf-6-829-2018.pdf |
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doaj-c08ef0b7d069498eb179d593c2e4ea162020-11-24T22:09:09ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth Surface Dynamics2196-63112196-632X2018-10-01682985810.5194/esurf-6-829-2018Effect of changing vegetation and precipitation on denudation – Part 1: Predicted vegetation composition and cover over the last 21 thousand years along the Coastal Cordillera of ChileC. Werner0M. Schmid1T. A. Ehlers2J. P. Fuentes-Espoz3J. Steinkamp4M. Forrest5J. Liakka6A. Maldonado7T. Hickler8T. Hickler9Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, GermanyDepartment of Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074 Tuebingen, GermanyDepartment of Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074 Tuebingen, GermanyDepartment of Silviculture and Nature Conservation, University of Chile, Av. Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago RM, ChileSenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, GermanySenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, GermanyNansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Thormøhlens gate 47, 5006 Bergen, NorwayCentro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Raúl Bitrán 1305, La Serena, ChileSenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, GermanyDepartment of Physical Geography, Geosciences, Goethe University, Altenhoeferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt/Main, Germany<p>Vegetation is crucial for modulating rates of denudation and landscape evolution, as it stabilizes and protects hillslopes and intercepts rainfall. Climate conditions and the atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, hereafter [CO<sub>2</sub>], influence the establishment and performance of plants; thus, these factors have a direct influence on vegetation cover. In addition, vegetation dynamics (competition for space, light, nutrients, and water) and stochastic events (mortality and fires) determine the state of vegetation, response times to environmental perturbations and successional development. In spite of this, state-of-the-art reconstructions of past transient vegetation changes have not been accounted for in landscape evolution models. Here, a widely used dynamic vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) was used to simulate vegetation composition/cover and surface runoff in Chile for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the mid-Holocene (MH) and the present day (PD). In addition, transient vegetation simulations were carried out from the LGM to PD for four sites in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile at a spatial and temporal resolution adequate for coupling with landscape evolution models.</p><p>A new landform mode was introduced to LPJ-GUESS to enable a better simulation of vegetation dynamics and state at a sub-pixel resolution and to allow for future coupling with landscape evolution models operating at different spatial scales. Using a regionally adapted parameterization, LPJ-GUESS was capable of reproducing PD potential natural vegetation along the strong climatic gradients of Chile, and simulated vegetation cover was also in line with satellite-based observations. Simulated vegetation during the LGM differed markedly from PD conditions. Coastal cold temperate rainforests were displaced northward by about 5° and the tree line and vegetation zones were at lower elevations than PD. Transient vegetation simulations indicate a marked shift in vegetation composition starting with the past glacial warming that coincides with a rise in [CO<sub>2</sub>]. Vegetation cover between the sites ranged from 13 % (LGM: 8 %) to 81 % (LGM: 73 %) for the northern Pan de Azúcar and southern Nahuelbuta sites, respectively, but did not vary by more than 10 % over the 21 000 year simulation. A sensitivity study suggests that [CO<sub>2</sub>] is an important driver of vegetation changes and, thereby, potentially landscape evolution. Comparisons with other paleoclimate model drivers highlight the importance of model input on simulated vegetation.</p><p>In the near future, we will directly couple LPJ-GUESS to a landscape evolution model (see companion paper) to build a fully coupled dynamic-vegetation/landscape evolution model that is forced with paleoclimate data from atmospheric general circulation models.</p>https://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/6/829/2018/esurf-6-829-2018.pdf |