| Institution: | ;Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;;Department of Environmental Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;;Atmospheric and Terrestrial Processes, CSIRO Centre for Environmental Mechanics, GPO Box 821, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;;DLO Winand Staring Centre, PO Box 125, 6700 C Wageningen, The Netherlands;;Department of Atmospheric Science, PAS Building #81, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;;School of Environmental Sciences and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131, USA |
| Abstract: | This paper overviews the short-term (biophysical) and long-term (out to around 100 year timescales; biogeochemical and biogeographical) influences of the land surface on weather and climate. From our review of the literature, the evidence is convincing that terrestrial ecosystem dynamics on these timescales significantly influence atmospheric processes. In studies of past and possible future climate change, terrestrial ecosystem dynamics are as important as changes in atmospheric dynamics and composition, ocean circulation, ice sheet extent, and orbit perturbations. |
