Contrasting response of European forest and grassland energy exchange to heatwaves

TLDR: In this paper, the authors analyse observations from an extensive network of flux towers in Europe that reveal a difference between the temporal responses of forest and grassland ecosystems during heatwaves and conclude that the conservative water use of forest contributes to increased temperatures in the short term, but mitigates the impact of the most extreme heat and/or long-lasting events.

Abstract: Recent European heatwaves have raised interest in the impact of land cover conditions on temperature extremes. At present, it is believed that such extremes are enhanced by stronger surface heating of the atmosphere, when soil moisture content is below average. However, the impact of land cover on the exchange of water and energy and the interaction of this exchange with the soil water balance during heatwaves is largely unknown. Here we analyse observations from an extensive network of flux towers in Europe that reveal a difference between the temporal responses of forest and grassland ecosystems during heatwaves. We find that initially, surface heating is twice as high over forest than over grassland. Over grass, heating is suppressed by increased evaporation in response to increased solar radiation and temperature. Ultimately, however, this process accelerates soil moisture depletion and induces a critical shift in the regional climate system that leads to increased heating. We propose that this mechanism may explain the extreme temperatures in August 2003. We conclude that the conservative water use of forest contributes to increased temperatures in the short term, but mitigates the impact of the most extreme heat and/or long-lasting events.

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This item is the archived peer-reviewed author-version of:
Contrasting response of European forest and grassland energy exchange to heatwaves
Reference:
Teuling Adriaan J., Seneviratne Sonia I., Stöckli Reto, Reichstein Markus, Moors Eddy, Ciais Philippe, Luyssaert Sebastiaan, van den Hurk Bart, Ammann
Christof, Bernhofer Christian, ....- Contrasting response of European forest and grassland energy exchange to heatwaves
Nature geoscience - ISSN 1752-0894 - 3:10(2010), p. 722-727
Full text (Publisher's DOI): https://doi.org/10.1038/NGEO950
To cite this reference: https://hdl.handle.net/10067/853690151162165141
Institutional repository IRUA

Contrasting response of European forest and grassland
energy exchange to heatwaves
Supplementary information
Teuling et al. (2010)

Supplementary Table 1 | List of flux tower sites, site characteristics, and site references for additional site information (see full references on following pages). For
the sites without reference we refer to www.fluxdata.org for additional information. T
max
is the mean summer (JJA) daily maximum temperature excluding heatwave
months June-August 2003 and July 2006.
Abbr. Site name Lat. Long. Elev. Clim. IGBP class Years T
max
Site reference
(m) (
◦
C)
AT-Neu Neustift/Stubai Valley 47.117 11.318 970. Cfb Grassland 2002–2006 21.41 Hammerle et al. (2008)
BE-Bra Brasschaat (De Inslag Forest) 51.309 4.521 16. Cfb
Mixed forest 1997–2006 20.60 Gielen et al. (2010)
BE-Lon Lonzee 50.552 4.745 165. Cfb
Cropland 2004–2006 21.29 Moureaux et al. (2006)
BE-Vie Vielsalm 50.306 5.997 450. Cfb
Mixed forest 1996–2006 18.89 Aubinet et al. (2001)
CH-Oe1 Oensingen 1 47.286 7.732 450. Cfb
Grassland 2002–2006 22.49 Ammann et al. (2007)
DE-Bay Bayreuth-Waldstein 50.142 11.867 775. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 1996–1999 17.76 Staudt et al. (2007)
DE-Geb Gebesee 51.100 10.914 161. Cfb
Cropland 2004–2006 22.05 Anthoni et al. (2004)
DE-Gri Grillenburg 50.950 13.513 385. Cfb
Grassland 2005–2006 20.65 Gilmanov et al. (2006)
DE-Hai Hainich 51.079 10.452 430. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 2000–2006 19.14 Kutsch et al. (2010)
DE-Har Hartheim 47.934 7.601 201. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 2005–2006 23.58 Schindler et al. (2006)
DE-Kli Klingenberg 50.893 13.523 480. Cfb
Cropland 2004–2006 19.70 Prescher et al. (2010)
DE-Meh Mehrstedt 1 51.275 10.656 286. Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 21.52 Don et al. (2009)
DE-Tha Tharandt (Anchor Station) 50.964 13.567 380. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 1996–2006 20.32 Grünwald et al. (2007)
DE-Wet Wetzstein 50.453 11.458 785. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 2002–2006 17.55 Rebmann et al. (2010)
DK-Sor Soroe (LilleBogeskov) 55.487 11.646 40. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 1996–2006 18.75 Pilegaard et al. (2003)
FR-Fon Fontainebleau 48.476 2.780 90. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 2005–2006 22.29 see www.fluxdata.org
FR-Gri Grignon 48.844 1.952 125. Cfb
Cropland 2005–2006 22.77 Hibbard et al. (2005)
FR-Hes Hesse Forest (Sarrebourg) 48.674 7.065 300. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 1997–2006 21.78 Granier et al. (2008)
FR-LBr Le Bray 44.717 −0.769 61. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 1996–2006 24.97 Berbigier et al. (2001)
FR-Lq1 Laqueuille 45.644 2.737 1040. Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 18.67 Allard et al. (2007)
FR-Lq2 Laqueuille extensive 45.639 2.737 1040. Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 18.67 Allard et al. (2007)
IT-Lav Lavarone 45.955 11.281 1353. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 2000–2006 18.37 Marcolla et al. (2003)
IT-MBo Monte Bondone 46.016 11.047 1550. Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 16.29 Gianelle et al. (2009)
IT-Mal Malga Arpaco 46.117 11.703 1730. Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 15.01 see www.fluxdata.org
IT-Ren Renon/Ritten 46.588 11.435 1730. Dfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 1999–2006 17.20 Montagnani et al. (2009)
NL-Ca1 Cabauw1 51.971 4.927 0.7 Cfb
Grassland 2003–2006 20.60 Jacobs et al. (2007)
NL-Hor Horstermeer 52.029 5.068 −2.2 Cfb
Grassland 2004–2006 22.49 Jacobs et al. (2007)
NL-Loo Loobos 52.168 5.744 25. Cfb
Evergreen needleleaf forest 1996–2006 20.58 Dolman et al. (2002)
UK-PL3 Pang/Lambourne 51.45 −1.267 115. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 2005–2006 23.02 see www.fluxdata.org
UK-Ham Hampshire 51.121 −0.861 80. Cfb
Deciduous broadleaf forest 2004–2005 20.88 see www.fluxdata.org
ii

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iv

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In this paper, the authors compare the response of European forest and grassland energy exchange to heatwaves.