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Infrared heater warming system markedly reduces dew formation: An overlooked factor in warming experiments
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  • TianJiao Feng,
  • Lixu Zhang,
  • Qian Chen,
  • Zhiyuan Ma,
  • Hao Wang,
  • Zijian Shangguan,
  • Lixin Wang,
  • Jin-Sheng He
TianJiao Feng
Peking University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Lixu Zhang
Peking University
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Qian Chen
Peking University
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Zhiyuan Ma
Peking University
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Hao Wang
Lanzhou University
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Zijian Shangguan
Peking University
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Lixin Wang
Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis
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Jin-Sheng He
Peking University
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Abstract

Dew plays a crucial role in ecosystem processes in arid and semiarid regions, and is expected to be affected by climate warming. However, how warming simulation affects dew formation has been long ignored and rarely addressed. We measured dew amount and duration and plant traits related to dew condensation from 2012 to 2017 in a long-term infrared warming experiment in an alpine grassland of Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that (1) warming reduced the dew amount by 42%-91% and reduced dew duration by 32 days compared to the ambient condition. (2) Plant functional groups differed in dew formation. (3) Under the warming treatment, the dew amount decreased with plant height; while under the ambient conditions, the dew amount showed the opposite trend. Warming using an infrared heater system greatly reduces dew formation, which if overlooked, could lead to overestimation of climate warming impacts on ecosystem processes.