Climate sensitivity of productivity and transpiration in a montane subtropical forest

Summary

Forests play a key role in global carbon and hydrological cycles, fixing c. 2.4 Pg C yr-1 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and recycling about 45% of annual precipitation through transpiration. Such roles may become uncertain under a rapidly changing climate, because both forest carbon and water dynamics vary in response to changing climatic conditions. Thus, quantifying climate sensitivity of forest carbon and water dynamics is key to predicting the effects of climatic fluctuations and climate change on forest productivity and water fluxes. In this study, we reveal and highlight the importance of integrating tree- and forest-based methods to study forest productivity and transpiration in responses to climatic conditions. By combining tree- (i.e., stem growth and sap flux) and forest-based (i.e., eddy flux tower) measurements, we reveal insights

into the intra-annual dynamics and their climate sensitivity of woody biomass production and forest transpiration.