Mousong Wu

Abstract Significant changes in vegetation greenness and browning have been observed across the northern permafrost zone, with important implications for ecosystem functioning and carbon uptake. While recent research has improved our understanding of the drivers of greening, the processes behind browning – especially the low-stature shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, which is more directly exposed to soil and atmospheric moisture deficits – remain less clear.

Abstract 2024 is the hottest year on record, accompanied by extreme precipitation, droughts and fires. The global atmospheric CO2 growth rate in 2024 reached a historic high of 3.73 ppm yr-1, significantly surpassing the previous record set during the 2015/16 El Niño event. Here, we investigate the causes and underlying mechanisms of this record-high growth rate by combining satellite-based atmospheric inversions and estimates of gross primary production and fire emissions.

Abstract The response of net forest carbon uptake to warm extremes remains elusive. The year 2023 was at the time ‘the hottest year on record’ globally, with Canada’s forests experiencing warm anomalies of above 2 °C and unprecedented drought and wildfires, providing a unique case to examine the response of boreal forest net carbon uptake to climate extremes.