TY - JOUR
T1 - Urban warming reduces aboveground carbon storage
AU - Meineke, Emily
AU - Youngsteadt, Elsa
AU - Dunn, Robert Roberdeau
AU - Frank, Steven D.
PY - 2016/10/12
Y1 - 2016/10/12
N2 - A substantial amount of global carbon is stored in mature trees. However, no experiments to date test how warming affects mature tree carbon storage. Using a unique, citywide, factorial experiment, we investigated how warming and insect herbivory affected physiological function and carbon sequestration (carbon stored per year) of mature trees. Urban warming increased herbivorous arthropod abundance on trees, but these herbivores had negligible effects on tree carbon sequestration. Instead, urban warming was associated with an estimated 12% loss of carbon sequestration, in part because photosynthesis was reduced at hotter sites. Ecosystem service assessments that do not consider urban conditions may overestimate urban tree carbon storage. Because urban and global warming are becoming more intense, our results suggest that urban trees will sequester even less carbon in the future.
AB - A substantial amount of global carbon is stored in mature trees. However, no experiments to date test how warming affects mature tree carbon storage. Using a unique, citywide, factorial experiment, we investigated how warming and insect herbivory affected physiological function and carbon sequestration (carbon stored per year) of mature trees. Urban warming increased herbivorous arthropod abundance on trees, but these herbivores had negligible effects on tree carbon sequestration. Instead, urban warming was associated with an estimated 12% loss of carbon sequestration, in part because photosynthesis was reduced at hotter sites. Ecosystem service assessments that do not consider urban conditions may overestimate urban tree carbon storage. Because urban and global warming are becoming more intense, our results suggest that urban trees will sequester even less carbon in the future.
KW - Carbon storage
KW - Climate change
KW - Ecosystem services
KW - Herbivory
KW - Urban ecology
KW - Urban heat island effect
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84990175921&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2016.1574
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2016.1574
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 27708149
AN - SCOPUS:84990175921
SN - 0962-8452
VL - 283
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1840
M1 - 20161574
ER -