---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: free access
_id: '22522'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The increase in atmospheric CO2 in the future is one of the most certain projections
    in environmental sciences. Understanding whether vegetation carbon assimilation,
    growth, and changes in vegetation carbon stocks are affected by higher atmospheric
    CO2 and translating this understanding in mechanistic vegetation models is of
    utmost importance. This is highlighted by inconsistencies between global-scale
    studies that attribute terrestrial carbon sinks to CO2 stimulation of gross and
    net primary production on the one hand, and forest inventories, tree-scale studies,
    and plant physiological evidence showing a much less pronounced CO2 fertilization
    effect on the other hand. Here, we review how plant carbon sources and sinks are
    currently described in terrestrial biosphere models. We highlight an uneven representation
    of complexity between the modelling of photosynthesis and other processes, such
    as plant respiration, direct carbon sinks, and carbon allocation, largely driven
    by available observations. Despite a general lack of data on carbon sink dynamics
    to drive model improvements, ways forward toward a mechanistic representation
    of plant carbon sinks are discussed, leveraging on results obtained from plant-scale
    models and on observations geared toward model developments.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: review
author:
- first_name: Simone
  full_name: Fatichi, Simone
  id: cf8e546b-a9b0-11f0-a43b-aa89ed1b56d6
  last_name: Fatichi
- first_name: Christoforos
  full_name: Pappas, Christoforos
  last_name: Pappas
- first_name: Jakob
  full_name: Zscheischler, Jakob
  last_name: Zscheischler
- first_name: Sebastian
  full_name: Leuzinger, Sebastian
  last_name: Leuzinger
citation:
  ama: Fatichi S, Pappas C, Zscheischler J, Leuzinger S. Modelling carbon sources
    and sinks in terrestrial vegetation. <i>New Phytologist</i>. 2019;221(2):652-668.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451">10.1111/nph.15451</a>
  apa: Fatichi, S., Pappas, C., Zscheischler, J., &#38; Leuzinger, S. (2019). Modelling
    carbon sources and sinks in terrestrial vegetation. <i>New Phytologist</i>. Wiley.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451">https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451</a>
  chicago: Fatichi, Simone, Christoforos Pappas, Jakob Zscheischler, and Sebastian
    Leuzinger. “Modelling Carbon Sources and Sinks in Terrestrial Vegetation.” <i>New
    Phytologist</i>. Wiley, 2019. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451">https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451</a>.
  ieee: S. Fatichi, C. Pappas, J. Zscheischler, and S. Leuzinger, “Modelling carbon
    sources and sinks in terrestrial vegetation,” <i>New Phytologist</i>, vol. 221,
    no. 2. Wiley, pp. 652–668, 2019.
  ista: Fatichi S, Pappas C, Zscheischler J, Leuzinger S. 2019. Modelling carbon sources
    and sinks in terrestrial vegetation. New Phytologist. 221(2), 652–668.
  mla: Fatichi, Simone, et al. “Modelling Carbon Sources and Sinks in Terrestrial
    Vegetation.” <i>New Phytologist</i>, vol. 221, no. 2, Wiley, 2019, pp. 652–68,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451">10.1111/nph.15451</a>.
  short: S. Fatichi, C. Pappas, J. Zscheischler, S. Leuzinger, New Phytologist 221
    (2019) 652–668.
das_tickbox: '1'
date_created: 2026-07-27T12:30:24Z
date_published: 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-08-06T07:39:23Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1111/nph.15451
extern: '1'
external_id:
  pmid:
  - '30339280'
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451
intvolume: '       221'
issue: '2'
keyword:
- Ecosystem modelling
- Nonstructural carbohydrates
- Carbon cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Plant growth
- respiration
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15451
month: '01'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 652-668
pmid: 1
publication: New Phytologist
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1469-8137
  issn:
  - 0028-646X
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Modelling carbon sources and sinks in terrestrial vegetation
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 221
year: '2019'
...