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Elsevier, Ecological Complexity, 3(8), p. 223-228, 2011

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2011.03.001

European Geosciences Union, Biogeosciences Discussions, 5(6), p. 10121-10136

DOI: 10.5194/bgd-6-10121-2009

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Local ecosystem feedbacks and critical transitions in the climate

Journal article published in 2009 by Max G. Rietkerk, Victor Brovkin, Peter M. van Bodegom, Van Bodegom, Martin Claussen, Stefan C. Dekker, Henk A. Dijkstra, Sergey V. Goryachkin ORCID, Pavel Kabat, Egbert H. van Nes, E. H. van Nes, Anje-Margriet Neutel, Sharon E. Nicholson, Carlos Nobre, Vladimir Petoukhov and other authors.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Global and regional climate models, such as those used in IPCC assessments, are the best tools available for climate predictions. Such models typically account for large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks. However, these models omit local vegetation-environment feedbacks that may be crucial for critical transitions in ecosystems at larger scales. In this viewpoint paper, we propose the hypothesis that, if the balance of feedbacks is positive at all scales, local vegetation-environment feedbacks may trigger a cascade of amplifying effects, propagating from local to large scale, possibly leading to critical transitions in the large-scale climate. We call for linking local ecosystem feedbacks with large-scale land-atmosphere feedbacks in global and regional climate models in order to improve climate predictions.