TY - JOUR
T1 - Local ecosystem feedbacks and critical transitions in the climate.
AU - Rietkerk, M.
AU - Brovkin, V.
AU - van Bodegom, P.M.
AU - Claussen, M.
AU - Dekker, S.C.
AU - Dijkstra, H.A.
AU - Goryachkin, S.V.
AU - Kabat, P.
AU - van Nes, E.H.
AU - Neutel, A.
AU - Nicholson, S.E.
AU - Nobre, C.
AU - Petoukhov, V.
AU - Provanzale, A.
AU - Scheffer, M.
AU - Seneviratne, S.I.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Global and regional climate models, such as those used in IPCC assessments, are the best tools available for climate predictions. Such models typically account for large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks. However, these models omit local vegetation-environment feedbacks that may be crucial for critical transitions in ecosystems at larger scales. In this viewpoint paper, we propose the hypothesis that, if the balance of feedbacks is positive at all scales, local vegetation-environment feedbacks may trigger a cascade of amplifying effects, propagating from local to large scale, possibly leading to critical transitions in the large-scale climate. We call for linking local ecosystem feedbacks with large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks in global and regional climate models in order to improve climate predictions. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.
AB - Global and regional climate models, such as those used in IPCC assessments, are the best tools available for climate predictions. Such models typically account for large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks. However, these models omit local vegetation-environment feedbacks that may be crucial for critical transitions in ecosystems at larger scales. In this viewpoint paper, we propose the hypothesis that, if the balance of feedbacks is positive at all scales, local vegetation-environment feedbacks may trigger a cascade of amplifying effects, propagating from local to large scale, possibly leading to critical transitions in the large-scale climate. We call for linking local ecosystem feedbacks with large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks in global and regional climate models in order to improve climate predictions. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecocom.2011.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.ecocom.2011.03.001
M3 - Article
SN - 1476-945X
VL - 8
SP - 223
EP - 228
JO - Ecological Complexity
JF - Ecological Complexity
ER -