Available in Environmental Research Letters:
Albedo of crops as a nature-based climate solution to global warming
Surface albedo can affect the energy budget and subsequently cause localized warming or cooling of the climate. When we convert a substantial portion of lands to agriculture, land surface properties are consequently altered, including albedo. Through crop selection and management, one can increase crop albedo to obtain higher levels of localized cooling effects to mitigate global warming. Still, there is little understanding about how distinctive features of a cropping system may be responsible for elevated albedo and consequently for the cooling potential of cultivated lands. To address this pressing issue, we conducted seasonal measurements of surface reflectivity during five growing seasons on annual crops of corn-soybean–winter wheat (Zea mays L.- Glycine max L. Merrill—Triticum aestivum L.; CSW) rotations at three agronomic intensities, a monoculture of perennial switchgrass, and perennial polycultures of early successional and restored prairie grasslands. We found that crop-species, agronomic intensity, seasonality, and plant phenology had significant effects on albedo. The mean ± SD of albedo was highest in perennial crops of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum; 0.179 ± 0.04), intermediate in early successional crops (0.170 ± 0.04), and lowest in a reduced input corn systems with cover crops (0.154 ± 0.02). The strongest cooling potentials were found in soybean (−0.450 kg CO2e m−2 yr−1) and switchgrass (−0.367 kg CO2e m−2 yr−1), with up to −0.265 kg CO2e m−2 yr−1 of localized climate cooling
annually provided by different agroecosystems. We also demonstrated how diverse ecosystems, leaf canopy, and agronomic practices can affect surface reflectivity and provide another potential nature-based solution for reducing global warming at localized scales.
Published
Reed, D. E., Lei, C., Baule, W., Shirkey, G., Chen, J., Czajkowski, K. P., & Ouyang, Z. (2024). Impacts of an urban density gradient on land-atmosphere thermodynamic fluxes across seasonal timescales. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-024-05133-z
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https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad661d
Lei, C., Chen, J., Ibanez, I., Sciusco, P., Shirkey, G., Lei, M., ... & Robertson, G. P. (2024). Albedo of crops as a nature-based climate solution to global warming. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad5fa2
Li, Y., Fang, L., Cao, G., Mi, W., Zhu, K., Lei, C., & Bi, Y. (2024). Reservoir regulation-induced variations in water level impacts cyanobacterial bloom by the changing physiochemical conditions. Water Research, 121836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121836
Lei, C., Chen, J., & Robertston, G. P. (2023). Climate cooling benefits of cellulosic bioenergy crops due to elevated albedo. Global Change Biology: Bioenergy.
https://doi.org/10.1111/GCBB.13098
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2022.109175
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31558-z
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https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020283
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https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1815
Lei, C., Abraha, M., Chen, J., & Su, YJ. (2021). Long term variability of root production in bioenergy systems using ingrowth cores and eddy covariance. Journal of Plant Ecology.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtab018
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https://doi.org/10.14321/j.ctv1h1vc27.11
Dahlin, K. M., Akanga, D., Lombardozzi, D. L., Reed, D. E., Shirkey, G., Lei, C., Abraha, M. & Chen, J. (2020). Challenging a global land surface model in a local socio-environmental system. Land, 9(10), 398.
https://doi.org/10.3390/land9100398
Sciusco, P., Chen, J., Abraha, M., Lei, C., Robertson, G.P., Lafortezza, R., Shirkey, G., Ouyang, Z., Zhang, R., & John, R. (2020). Spatiotemporal variations of albedo in managed agricultural landscapes: inferences to global warming impacts (GWI). Landscape Ecology, 35(6), 1385-1402.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01022-8
Lei, C., & Zhu, L. (2018). Spatio-temporal variability of land use/land cover change (LULCC) within the Huron river: effects on stream flows. Climate Risk Management, 19, 35-47.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2017.09.002
Scott-Smith, C., Oh, J.S., & Lei, C. (2015). Exploring the equity dimensions of US bicycle sharing systems (No. TRCLC 14-01). Western Michigan University. Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30941.721635
In Preparation
Lei, C., Chen, J., & Robertston, P. (Final preparation). Global warming impacts of converting forest into bioenergy croplands: Case study at the Kellogg Biological Station.
Lei, C., Sciusco, P., Chen, J., Robertson, G. P., Lindback, E., Lei, M., Shirkey, G., & Arrocha, I. (Final preparation). Temporal variations of albedo on bioenergy crops: Effects on global warming potential during three cultivation seasons.
Under Review
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