Contribution of Tibetan Plateau ecosystems to local and remote precipitation through moisture recycling. Issue 3 (11th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Yan; Xu, Ru; Yang, Kun; Liu, Yanxu; Wang, Shuai; Zhou, Sha; Yang, Zhao; Feng, Xiaoming; He, Chunyang; Xu, Zhengjie; Zhao, Wenwu
• Is Part Of: Global change biology. Volume 29:Issue 3(2023)
• Page Start: 702
• Page End: 718
• Publication Date: 2022-11-11
• Subjects: ecosystem service -- evapotranspiration -- moisture recycling -- precipitation regulation -- Tibetan Plateau; Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Troposphere -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Biodiversity conservation -- Periodicals; Eutrophication -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16495
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-1013

Abstract

Abstract: The ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) provide multiple important ecosystem services that benefit both local populations and those beyond, such as through climate regulation services on precipitation for East Asia and China. However, the precipitation regulation service of the TP ecosystems for supplying moisture and maintaining precipitation is yet to be evaluated. In this study, we used the moisture recycling framework and a moisture tracking model to quantify the precipitation regulation services of TP ecosystems for their contribution to precipitation. We found TP ecosystems contributed substantially to local and downwind precipitation, with a contribution of 221 mm/year for the TP and neighboring areas through evapotranspiration (ET) (104 mm/year through transpiration), declined to <10 mm/year for eastern China and other surrounding countries. Among ecosystem types, grassland contributed most to precipitation, followed by barren and snow lands, forests, and shrublands. In terms of seasonality, precipitation contribution from TP ecosystems was greater in summer months than in non‐summer months for western China, while the opposite was true for eastern China—although the magnitude was much smaller. Over the past two decades, the significant ET increases in TP translated to a widespread increase in precipitation contribution for TP and downwind beneficiary regions from 2000 to 2020. Our study provides a quantitative way to understand the precipitation regulation services of TP ecosystems through moisture recycling, substantiating their key role to maintain precipitation and the water cycle for downwind regions—effectively acting as an ecological safeguard that could be perceived by the public. Abstract : We used the moisture recycling framework to quantify the precipitation regulation services of ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) for their contribution to precipitation. TP ecosystems contributed substantially to local and downwind precipitation, with a contribution declining from TP and neighboring areas to eastern China and other surrounding countries. TP ecosystems effectively act as an ecological safeguard to maintain precipitation and the water cycle for downwind regions.