Abstract
The year 2022 saw record breaking temperatures in Europe during both summer and fall. Similar to the recent 2018 drought, close to 30% (3.0 million km2) of the European continent was under severe summer drought. In 2022, the drought was located in central and southeastern Europe, contrasting the Northern-centered 2018 drought. We show, using multiple sets of observations, a reduction of net biospheric carbon uptake in summer (56-62 TgC) over the drought area. Specific sites in France even showed a widespread summertime carbon release by forests, additional to wildfires. Partial compensation (32%) for the decreased carbon uptake due to drought was offered by a warm autumn with prolonged biospheric carbon uptake. The severity of this second drought event in 5 years suggests drought-induced reduced carbon uptake to no longer be exceptional, and important to factor into Europe’s developing plans for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions that rely on carbon uptake by forests.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 6218 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
Keywords
- Assimilation
- Co2
- Drought events
- Fluxes
- Heat
- Impacts
- Net ecosystem exchange
- Respiration
- Separation
- Summer