Earth Sciences

Soil moisture dominates dryness stress on ecosystem production globally

L. Liu, L. Gudmundsson, et al.

This groundbreaking study by Laibao Liu and colleagues reveals that low soil moisture is the primary factor limiting vegetation growth in over 70% of vegetated areas struggling with dryness stress. Discover how satellite observations of solar-induced fluorescence illuminate the complex relationship between moisture and atmospheric demands, particularly in semi-arid ecosystems.

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Abstract

Dryness stress, characterized by low soil moisture (SM) and high atmospheric water demand (vapor pressure deficit, VPD), limits vegetation growth. This study combines satellite observations of solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) with SM and VPD estimates to determine their relative roles in limiting ecosystem production. Results show SM as the dominant driver of dryness stress across over 70% of vegetated areas, with VPD effects being much smaller after accounting for SM-VPD coupling. SM stress is strongest in semi-arid ecosystems. These findings clarify a longstanding debate and offer avenues for improving drought risk management and models.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Sep 29, 2020

Authors

Laibao Liu, Lukas Gudmundsson, Mathias Hauser, Dahe Qin, Shuangcheng Li, Sonia I. Seneviratne

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