Dataset Information

Reconstructing vapor pressure deficit from leaf wax lipid molecular distributions.

ABSTRACT: Estimates of atmospheric moisture are critical for understanding the links and feedbacks between atmospheric CO2 and global climate. At present, there are few quantitative moisture proxies that are applicable to deep time. We present a new proxy for atmospheric moisture derived from modern climate and leaf biomarker data from North and Central America. Plants have a direct genetic pathway to regulate the production of lipids in response to osmotic stress, which is manifested in a change in the distribution of simple aliphatic lipids such as n-alkanes. The Average Chain Length (ACL) of these lipids is therefore statistically related to mean annual vapor pressure deficit (VPDav), enabling quantitative reconstruction of VPD from sedimentary n-alkanes. We apply this transfer function to the Armantes section of the Calatayud-Daroca Basin in Central Spain, that spans the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO) and the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT). Reconstructed VPDav rises from 0.13 to 0.92?kPa between 16.5 and 12.4?Ma, indicating a substantial drying through the MMCT. These data are consistent with fossil assemblages and mammalian stable isotope data, highlighting the utility of this new organic molecular tool for quantifying hydrologic variability over geologic timescales.

SUBMITTER: Eley YL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5834636 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Reconstructing vapor pressure deficit from leaf wax lipid molecular distributions.

Eley Yvette L YL Hren Michael T MT

Scientific reports 20180302 1

Estimates of atmospheric moisture are critical for understanding the links and feedbacks between atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> and global climate. At present, there are few quantitative moisture proxies that are applicable to deep time. We present a new proxy for atmospheric moisture derived from modern climate and leaf biomarker data from North and Central America. Plants have a direct genetic pathway to regulate the production of lipids in response to osmotic stress, which is manifested in a chan ...[more]

PMID: 29500405

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Project description:Earth is currently undergoing a global increase in atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), a trend which is expected to continue as climate warms. This phenomenon has been associated with productivity decreases in ecosystems and yield penalties in crops, with these losses attributed to photosynthetic limitations arising from decreased stomatal conductance. Such VPD increases, however, have occurred over decades, which raises the possibility that stomatal acclimation to VPD plays an important role in determining plant productivity under high VPD. Furthermore, evidence points to more far-ranging and complex effects of elevated VPD on plant physiology, extending to the anatomical, biochemical, and developmental levels, which could vary substantially across species. Because these complex effects are typically not considered in modeling frameworks, we conducted a quantitative literature review documenting temperature-independent VPD effects on 112 species and 59 traits and physiological variables, in order to develop an integrated and mechanistic physiological framework. We found that VPD increase reduced yield and primary productivity, an effect that was partially mediated by stomatal acclimation, and also linked with changes in leaf anatomy, nutrient, and hormonal status. The productivity decrease was also associated with negative effects on reproductive development, and changes in architecture and growth rates that could decrease the evaporative surface or minimize embolism risk. Cross-species quantitative relationships were found between levels of VPD increase and trait responses, and we found differences across plant groups, indicating that future VPD impacts will depend on community assembly and crop functional diversity. Our analysis confirms predictions arising from the hydraulic corollary to Darcy's law, outlines a systemic physiological framework of plant responses to rising VPD, and provides recommendations for future research to better understand and mitigate VPD-mediated climate change effects on ecosystems and agro-systems.

Dataset Information

Reconstructing vapor pressure deficit from leaf wax lipid molecular distributions.

Publications

Reconstructing vapor pressure deficit from leaf wax lipid molecular distributions.

Similar Datasets

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