Climate-driven acceleration in forest evapotranspiration fuelling extreme rainfall events in the Himalaya

Singh N, Singh J, Gupta AK, Bräuning A, Dimri AP, Ramanathan AL, Sharma V, Tiwari RK, Chakraborty JS, Chauhan P, Shukla T, Singhal M, Rawat S, Agarwal S, Raja P (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Environmental Research Letters Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals / Institute of Physics (IoP)

Book Volume: 16

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ed

Abstract

Warming-induced expansion in vegetation coverage and activity can accelerate the montane hydrological regimes. However, the climate impacts on ecohydrology of forested valleys of the Himalaya are uncertain. In this study, utilizing results of about three centuries of cellulose isotope chronologies (delta C-13 and delta O-18) of dominant tree species, geo-chronological proxies, bio-geophysical dataset and simulations including satellite observations, we show an activation in the ecophysiological processes including evapotranspiration (ET) since the 1950s. Observation suggests rapid greening, while isotopic records indicate enhanced assimilation and transpiration in deciduous species vis-a-vis conifers post 1950s. Given strong vegetation-precipitation feedback and superimposed on the increasing trends of conducive atmospheric factors affecting valley-scale convective processes, intensification in forest ET is manifesting in a progressive enhancement in extreme rainfall events (EREs) since the last few decades. Results suggest that representation of ecophysiological processes and dynamics of seasonal moisture loading in observational and modelling framework is critical for understanding EREs under climate change.

Authors with CRIS profile

Achim Bräuning Lehrstuhl für Geographie (Physische Geographie)

Involved external institutions

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology IN India (IN) Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur IN India (IN) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) IN India (IN) Banaras Hindu University IN India (IN) Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar IN India (IN) Forest Research Institute (FRI) IN India (IN) Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) IN India (IN) Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) / Indian Photo-interpretation Institute (IPI) IN India (IN) Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation IN India (IN)

How to cite

APA:

Singh, N., Singh, J., Gupta, A.K., Bräuning, A., Dimri, A.P., Ramanathan, A.L.,... Raja, P. (2021). Climate-driven acceleration in forest evapotranspiration fuelling extreme rainfall events in the Himalaya. Environmental Research Letters, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ed

MLA:

Singh, Nilendu, et al. "Climate-driven acceleration in forest evapotranspiration fuelling extreme rainfall events in the Himalaya." Environmental Research Letters 16.8 (2021).

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