Reductions in photosynthetic nitrogen demand due to elevated CO2 increases simulated future ecosystem carbon storage

Photosynthesis is the largest flux of carbon between the atmosphere and Earth’s surface and is driven by proteins that require nitrogen. Thus, photosynthesis is a key linkage between the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycles, and the representation of this linkage is  critical for coupled carbon-nitrogen land surface models. Most models use a scheme that assumes that photosynthetic nitrogen is driven by soil nitrogen availability. This contributes to projected future reductions in the CO₂ fertilization of photosynthesis, as this fertilization becomes limited by nitrogen availability. However, recent results suggest that photosynthetic nitrogen is determined by leaf nitrogen demand, which is set by aboveground conditions, and that future increases in temperature and atmospheric CO₂ should reduce photosynthetic nitrogen demand. Here, we used recently developed photosynthetic optimality theory to incorporate the effect of reduced photosynthetic demand for nitrogen into the land surface component of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (ELM). We simulated land surface processes under future elevated CO₂ conditions to 2100 using the RCP 8.5 scenario. Our simulations showed that photosynthesis increases under future conditions, but leaf nitrogen declines. This nitrogen savings led to an increase in simulated leaf area, which increased GPP and ecosystem carbon in 2100. These results suggest that land surface models may overestimate future nitrogen limitation of photosynthesis if they do not incorporate future reductions in photosynthetic nitrogen demand.