Phosphorus constrains global photosynthesis more than nitrogen does

Global vegetation growth is thought to be limited by nitrogen (N) more than by other nutrients. Here we document a stronger phosphorus (P) limitation on global photosynthesis compared with N over the last four decades. On the basis of more than 80,000 field observations of foliar nutrients and a machine learning method, we generated a long-term global dataset of foliar N and P concentrations for the period 1980–2017. We show a larger declining rate of foliar P concentration (−0.80 ± 0.008% yr⁻¹) than of N concentration (−0.31 ± 0.002% yr⁻¹). This decline has led to an increase in terrestrial areas limited by foliar P and a widespread constraint on vegetation photosynthesis, more than 1.5 times stronger than the constraint by foliar N. The increasing trend in global photosynthesis over the past 4 decades has been reduced by approximately 17.2% and 6.7% as a result of the decline in foliar P and N, respectively. This stronger P limitation on global photosynthesis implies a weakening of terrestrial carbon sinks due to an emerging P constraint and calls for stricter strategies for reducing anthropogenic emissions to mitigate climatic warming.