Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Changes in the Land Surface Energy Budget in Eastern China over the Past Three Decades: Contributions of Land-Cover Change and Climate Change

J. W. Yan * State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and Department of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China

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J. Y. Liu State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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B. Z. Chen State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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M. Feng Global Land Cover Facility, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland

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S. F. Fang State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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G. Xu Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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H. F. Zhang Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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M. L. Che Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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W. Liang Department of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China

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Y. F. Hu ** Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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W. H. Kuang ** Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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H. M. Wang ** Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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Print Publication:
15 Dec 2014
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00492.1
Page(s):
9233–9252
Restricted access

Abstract

Sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), and net radiation (NR) are important surface energy components that directly influence climate systems. In this study, the changes in the surface energy and their contributions from global climate change and/or land-cover change over eastern China during the past nearly 30 years were investigated and assessed using a process-based land surface model [the Ecosystem–Atmosphere Simulation Scheme (EASS)]. The modeled results show that climate change contributed more to the changes of land surface energy fluxes than land-cover change, with their contribution ratio reaching 4:1 or even higher. Annual average temperature increased before 2000 and reversed thereafter; annual total precipitation continually decreased, and incident solar radiation continually increased over the past nearly 30 years. These climatic changes could lead to increased NR, H, and LE, assuming land cover remained unchanged during the past nearly 30 years. Among these meteorological variables, at spatial distribution, the incident solar radiation has the greatest effect on land surface energy exchange. The impacts of land-cover change on the seasonal variations in land surface heat fluxes between the four periods were large, especially for H. The changes in the regional energy fluxes resulting from different land-cover type conversions varied greatly. The conversion from farmland to evergreen coniferous forests had the greatest influence on land surface energy exchange, leading to a decrease in H by 19.39% and an increase in LE and NR by 7.44% and 2.74%, respectively. The results of this study can provide a basis and reference for climate change adaptation.

Corresponding author address: B. Z. Chen, State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail: Baozhang.Chen@igsnrr.ac.cn

Abstract

Sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), and net radiation (NR) are important surface energy components that directly influence climate systems. In this study, the changes in the surface energy and their contributions from global climate change and/or land-cover change over eastern China during the past nearly 30 years were investigated and assessed using a process-based land surface model [the Ecosystem–Atmosphere Simulation Scheme (EASS)]. The modeled results show that climate change contributed more to the changes of land surface energy fluxes than land-cover change, with their contribution ratio reaching 4:1 or even higher. Annual average temperature increased before 2000 and reversed thereafter; annual total precipitation continually decreased, and incident solar radiation continually increased over the past nearly 30 years. These climatic changes could lead to increased NR, H, and LE, assuming land cover remained unchanged during the past nearly 30 years. Among these meteorological variables, at spatial distribution, the incident solar radiation has the greatest effect on land surface energy exchange. The impacts of land-cover change on the seasonal variations in land surface heat fluxes between the four periods were large, especially for H. The changes in the regional energy fluxes resulting from different land-cover type conversions varied greatly. The conversion from farmland to evergreen coniferous forests had the greatest influence on land surface energy exchange, leading to a decrease in H by 19.39% and an increase in LE and NR by 7.44% and 2.74%, respectively. The results of this study can provide a basis and reference for climate change adaptation.

Corresponding author address: B. Z. Chen, State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail: Baozhang.Chen@igsnrr.ac.cn
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