Reply to comment by V.Arora on "Optimized stomatal conductance of vegetated land surfaces and its effects on simulated productivity and climate"

Authors:

Abstract:

Kleidon (2004) (Optimized stomatal conductance of vegetated land surfaces and its effects on simulated productivity and climate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L21203, doi:10.1029/2004GL020769), hereinafter referred to as K04, demonstrated the existence of a large-scale optimum stomatal conductance as a consequence of a fundamental tradeoff which involves vegetation effects on convective cloud cover. Arora raises a couple of interesting points and claims that the overall conclusion of K04 is merely a consequence of the intermediate complexity nature of the vegetation model. However, closer inspection of the points raised by Arora (2005)(Comment on "Optimized stomatal conductance of vegetated land surfaces and its effects on simulated productivity and climate" by A.Kleidon, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L08708, doi:10.1029/2004GL022110), hereinafter A05, shows that these are minor details or invalid, thus leaving the conclusion of K04 unaffected. The major points of criticisms raised by A05 concern the following topics: - role of diffusive light for photosynthesis - compensation of transpiration by bare soil evaporation - control on large-scale cloud cover - ability of plants to sense changes in clouds.

Reference:

Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L08709, doi:10.1029/2005GL022355.
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