Recently, a research team from National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) made important advancement in the field of atmospheric environment. This study revealed systematically the carbon benefits of terrestrial productivity caused by air pollution mitigations due to China’s Clean Air Action (CAA) plans, based on newest-developed Land Surface Model (LSM), multiple numerical models, observation data and artificial intelligence algorithms. These findings were published in Nature Geoscience titled as "Recovery of ecosystem productivity in China by the Clean Air Action Plan" (DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01586-z).
Terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) responses to aerosol and ozone (O3) changes in two CAA phases
Severe air pollution reduced terrestrial ecosystem carbon assimilations through vegetation damaging effects of ozone and by altering the climate through aerosol effects, further exacerbating global warming. Our study quantified the spatiotemporal variation patterns of aerosols and ozone (O3) caused by anthropogenic emission reductions due to CAA plans, and assessed terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) responses to such air pollution changes during 2014-2020. Results showed the enhanced light availability due to decreased black carbon concentrations, increased precipitation resulting from weakened aerosol climatic effects, and the alleviation of plant damage caused by reduced O3 promoted collectively China’s terrestrial carbon recovery. The study confirmed substantial carbon gains from controlling aerosols and surface O3 for China’s terrestrial ecosystems, and revealed the co-benefits of air pollution treatment in protecting public health and achieving carbon neutrality.
Lecturer Zhou Hao from the College of Meteorology and Oceanography, National University of Defense Technology is the first author, and Professor Yue Xu is the corresponding author.
Written by: Zhou Hao, You Li, Tao Jia
Photo by: Zhou Hao, Yu Guang