Effect of nitrogen limitation and soil biophysics on Holocene greening of the Sahara

The so–called Green Sahara (GS), wet and vegetative Sahara region in the early to mid–Holocene, provides useful information on our climate simulation because it is a consequence of complex interaction between biophysical and climatic processes. It is still a challenge to simulate the GS in terms of vegetative extent and precipitation using the current climate models. This study attempts to simulate the 8,000 year ago Green Sahara by using the state–of–the–art Earth system model CESM that incorporates the nitrogen cycle and the soil–precipitation feedbacks. Our study puts more emphasis on the impact of soil biophysical properties and soil nitrogen influenced by soil organic matter on the simulation of the GS. In this coupled simulation, vegetation interacts with changes in soil properties and soil organic matter by phenology, decomposition and allocation of carbon and nitrogen. With changes in the Earth’s orbit and dust in the early to mid–Holocene, the model simulates increased precipitation in North Africa, but does not capture the extent of the GS. Our analysis shows that the Holocene greening is simulated better if the amount of soil nitrogen and soil texture are properly modified for the humid and vegetative GS period. Soil biochemical and physical properties increase precipitation and vegetation cover in North Africa through their influence on photosynthesis and surface albedo and their consequent enhanced albedo– and evapotranspiration–precipitation feedbacks. Our findings suggest that future climate simulation needs to consider consequent changes in soil nitrogen and texture with changes in vegetation cover and density for proper climate simulations.

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Lee et al. (2022) Effect of nitrogen limitation and soil biophysics on Holocene greening of the Sahara, Climate of the Past, accepted.