Terrestrial ecosystem responses to global environmental change across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

Investigations of long-term (10(3)-10(5) yr) environmental change across the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary resulting from the impact of a large bolide indicate increases in temperature and precipitation due to the impact-related release of CO2. We evaluate the effects of these long-term changes in the global environment on terrestrial ecosystems using a vegetation-biogeochemistry model forced with a 'best guess' modified latest Cretaceous climate simulation by the GENESIS atmospheric general circulation model. The imposition of long-term global environmental changes after the K/T impact resulted in spatially heterogeneous increases in canopy leaf area index, net primary productivity, and soil carbon concentrations, relative to the latest Cretaceous preimpact situation. Terrestrial carbon storage increased by circa 2000 Gt.