Covariation between gross primary production and ecosystem respiration across space and the underlying mechanisms: A global synthesis

•GPP and RE covaried across space regionally and globally.•Across the spatial variations of climate and vegetation index RE/GPP averaged at 0.87±0.04.•Variation in GPP is the dominant driver for RE across space.•The differences in photosynthate availability must be fully considered in the cross-site respiration comparisons. Gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) are two important processes in the terrestrial carbon cycle. Understanding the relationships between GPP and RE across space, as well as the underlying mechanisms, is helpful for understanding the terrestrial carbon cycle and predicting the global carbon budget. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the spatial variations in GPP and RE by compiling carbon flux data from 264 sites across the Asian, European, North American, South American, African, and Oceanian regions. The results indicated that GPP and RE covaried across space regionally and globally (P