Interactive effects of seasonal drought and nitrogen deposition on carbon fluxes in a subtropical evergreen coniferous forest in the East Asian monsoon region

Abstract Subtropical forests in the East Asian monsoon region function as considerable carbon sinks in the Northern Hemisphere. Forest ecosystems in this region have experienced intensified seasonal drought that has limited their carbon sequestration capacity, but increasing atmospheric nitrogen deposition has contrarily enhanced their capacity to act as carbon sinks. Understanding and quantifying the interactive effects of seasonal drought and nitrogen deposition on the carbon sequestration of subtropical forests is of great significance for accurately predicting future changes to the terrestrial carbon cycle. In this study, we used the Community Land Model Version 4.5 (CLM4.5) to investigate how carbon fluxes, i.e. gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP), respond to seasonal drought and nitrogen deposition in an evergreen coniferous forest in southern China. Our results showed that reduced GPP during the drought in the summers of 2003 and 2007 weakened the forest’s carbon sequestration capacity. The reduction in GPP mainly occurred at the sunlit canopy due to its higher sensitivity to soil water stress, and non-stomatal limitations played an important role in limiting leaf photosynthesis. The enhanced NEP by nitrogen deposition was attributed to increased plant growth, which could, in turn, be attributed to increases in leaf area. Interactions of seasonal drought and nitrogen deposition varied with drought severity. Interactive effects of the two drivers on GPP, Re, and NEP were additive under mild and moderate drought conditions but non-additive under severe drought. Their net effects on NEP shifted from +29% under mild and moderate drought conditions to -56% under severe drought. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for the interactive effects of seasonal drought and nitrogen deposition in assessing the carbon sequestration of subtropical forest ecosystems in the East Asian monsoon region.