Levis, S., J.A. Foley, and D. Pollard (1999). Potential high-latitude vegetation feedbacks on CO2 induced climate change. Geophysical Research Letters 26(6), 747-750.
Abstract:
We use a fully coupled climate-vegetation model to examine the potential effects of changes in vegetation cover on simulations of CO2-induced climate change. We find that vegetation feedbacks, acting mainly through changes in surface albedo, enhance greenhouse warming in the northern high latitudes during spring and summer months. In spring and summer, land surfaces north of 45º N are warmed by 3.3 and 1.7º C by a doubling of CO2 alone; vegetation feedbacks produce an additional warming of between 1.1-1.6 and 0.4-0.5º C, respectively. In winter, however, vegetation feedbacks appear to oppose the 5.6º C radiative warming, particularly over Eurasia. These results demonstrate that vegetation feedbacks are potentially significant and must be included in assessments of anthropogenic climate change.
Updated:
SAGE is a Research Center of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Contact us with feedback, questions or accessibility issues
Copyright © 2012 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System