Ecosystem sensitivity to climate variability

Abstract

Assessments of ecosystem sensitivity to climate variability are mostly qualitative. However, understanding the complex interactions between climate and ecosystems requires a quantitative analysis. In the present study, we developed a quantitative approach to assess ecosystem sensitivity to climate variability. We used five indicators to describe the ecosystem sensitivity based on simulated variations in ecosystem state from 1981 to 2000 with a process-based ecosystem model. The results show that ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate variability in the middle and low reach of Changjiang River, Sichuan Basin, Northeast Plain, and northern Tibet that occupy 34% of China's land area. The ecosystems in southern China, some regions of North Plain, and Inner Mongolia are not very sensitive, accounting for 17% of China's land area. The sensitivity did not vary much among the major vegetation types. Generally, the sensitivity in the 1980s was higher than in the 1990s.