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  • Articles  (194)
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  • 1
    ISSN: 1365-2486
    Source: Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
    Topics: Biology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Geography
    Notes: Process-based models can be classified into: (a) terrestrial biogeochemical models (TBMs), which simulate fluxes of carbon, water and nitrogen coupled within terrestrial ecosystems, and (b) dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), which further couple these processes interactively with changes in slow ecosystem processes depending on resource competition, establishment, growth and mortality of different vegetation types. In this study, four models – RHESSys, GOTILWA+, LPJ-GUESS and ORCHIDEE – representing both modelling approaches were compared and evaluated against benchmarks provided by eddy-covariance measurements of carbon and water fluxes at 15 forest sites within the EUROFLUX project. Overall, model-measurement agreement varied greatly among sites. Both modelling approaches have somewhat different strengths, but there was no model among those tested that universally performed well on the two variables evaluated. Small biases and errors suggest that ORCHIDEE and GOTILWA+ performed better in simulating carbon fluxes while LPJ-GUESS and RHESSys did a better job in simulating water fluxes. In general, the models can be considered as useful tools for studies of climate change impacts on carbon and water cycling in forests. However, the various sources of variation among models simulations and between models simulations and observed data described in this study place some constraints on the results and to some extent reduce their reliability. For example, at most sites in the Mediterranean region all models generally performed poorly most likely because of problems in the representation of water stress effects on both carbon uptake by photosynthesis and carbon release by heterotrophic respiration (Rh).The use of flux data as a means of assessing key processes in models of this type is an important approach to improving model performance. Our results show that the models have value but that further model development is necessary with regard to the representation of the some of the key ecosystem processes.
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
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  • 2
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Springer
    Regional environmental change 1 (2000), S. 112-125 
    ISSN: 1436-378X
    Keywords: Climate variability Ecological impact assessments Tree line dynamics Forest succession Gap models ForClim Global change
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Biology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Notes: Abstract. Numerous analyses of the possible impacts of future climatic changes on tree species composition have been published for both lowland and high-elevation forests. Most of these studies were based on the application of forest "gap" models, and the vast majority of them considered only changes in the average of climatic parameters over time. In this study, we use a unique data set on reconstructed past climatic variations to analyse forest dynamics simulated by the forest gap model ForClim. This analysis forms the basis for a systematic exploration of the ecological effects of changing means vs. changing variability of climate on central European forests. A reconstruction of historical climate covering the last 470 years in the Swiss lowlands (ClimIndex) is extrapolated to a transect across the alpine (cold) treeline and used to simulate the influence of climate variations on the time scale of decades on forest biomass and tree species composition at both sites. While the simulation at the low-elevation site shows little sensitivity to climate variations, the results from upper subalpine forests suggest that two major dieback events would have occurred at elevations above the current but below the climatic tree line, induced by clusters of exceptionally cold summers. The results are in agreement with available dendrochronological data and with documentary evidence on massive negative impacts on flora and fauna at high elevations during these periods. We conclude that ForClim is capable of capturing the effects on tree population dynamics of climate variability at these sites as reconstructed from the ClimIndex record. A factorial design is used to address the sensitivity of ForClim to changes of the long-term averages vs. changes of the variability of monthly temperature and precipitation data. To this end, the simulated tree species composition of near-natural forests is examined along a climate gradient in Europe. The results indicate that there are three types of forest response: (1) little sensitivity to both kinds of change, (2) strong sensitivity to changes in the means, but little sensitivity to changing variability, and (3) strong sensitivity to changing variability at least in parts of the examined climate space. Half of the cases investigated fall under the third category, suggesting that emphasis should be placed on also assessing the sensitivity of ecosystems to future changes in climate variability rather than on changes of average values alone.
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  • 3
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Springer
    Climatic change 29 (1995), S. 251-257 
    ISSN: 1573-1480
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Geosciences , Physics
    Type of Medium: Electronic Resource
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  • 4
    ISSN: 1573-1480
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Geosciences , Physics
    Notes: Abstract This paper reviews scaling issues in forest succession modelling, focusing on forest gap models. Two modes of scaling are distinguished: (1) implicit scaling, i.e. taking scale-dependent features into account while developing model equations, and (2) explicit scaling, i.e. using procedures that typically involve numerical simulation to scale up the response of a local model in space and/or time. Special attention is paid to spatial upscaling methods, and downscaling is covered with respect to deriving scenarios of climatic change to drive gap models in impact assessments. When examining the equations used to represent ecological processes in forest gap models, it becomes evident that implicit scaling is relevant, but has not always been fully taken into consideration. A categorization from the literature is used to distinguish four methods for explicit upscaling of ecological models in space: (1) Lumping, (2) Direct extrapolation, (3) Extrapolation by expected value, and (4) Explicit integration. Examples from gap model studies are used to elaborate the potential and limitations of these methods, showing that upscaling to areas as large as 3000 km2 is possible, given that there are no significant disturbances such as fires or insect outbreaks at the landscape scale. Regarding temporal upscaling, we find that it is important to consider migrational lags, i.e. limited availability of propagules, if one wants to assess the transient behaviour of forests in a changing climate, specifically with respect to carbon storage and the associated feedbacks to the atmospheric CO2 content. Regarding downscaling, the ecological effects of different climate scenarios for the year 2100 were compared at a range of sites in central Europe. The derivation of the scenarios is based on (1) imposing GCM grid-cell average changes of temperature and precipitation on the local weather records; (2) a qualitative downscaling technique applied by the IPCC for central and southern Europe; and (3) statistical downscaling relating large-scale circulation patterns to local weather records. Widely different forest compositions may be obtained depending on the local climate scenario, suggesting that the downscaling issue is quite important for assessments of the ecological impacts of climatic change on forests.
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  • 5
    Electronic Resource
    Electronic Resource
    Springer
    Climatic change 34 (1996), S. 201-211 
    ISSN: 1573-1480
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Geosciences , Physics
    Notes: Abstract The forest model ForClim was used to evaluate the applicability of gap models in complex topography when the climatic input data is provided by a global database of 0.5° resolution. The analysis was based on 12 grid cells along an altitudinal gradient in the European Alps. Forest dynamics were studied both under current climate as well as under four prescribed 2 × CO2 scenarios of climatic change obtained from General Circulation Models, which allowed to assess the sensitivity of mountainous forests to climatic change. Under current climate, ForClim produces plausible patterns of species composition in space and time, although the results for single grid cells sometimes are not representative of reality due to the limited precision of the climatic input data. Under the scenarios of climatic change, three responses of the vegetation are observed, i.e., afforestation, gradual changes of the species composition, and dieback of today's forest. In some cases widely differing species compositions are obtained depending on the climate scenario used, suggesting that mountainous forests are quite sensitive to climatic change. Some of the new forests have analogs on the modern landscape, but in other cases non-analog communities are formed, pointing at the importance of the individualistic response of species to climate. The applicability of gap models on a regular grid in a complex topography is discussed. It is concluded that for their application on a continental scale, it would be desirable to replace the species in the models by plant functional types. It is suggested that simulation studies like the present one must not be interpreted as predictions of the future fate of forests, but as means to assess their sensitivity to climatic change.
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  • 6
    ISSN: 1573-1480
    Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
    Topics: Geosciences , Physics
    Notes: Abstract Forest gap models share a common structure for simulating tree population dynamics, and many models contain the same or quite similar ecological factors. However, a wide variety of formulations are being used to implement this general structure. The comparison of models incorporating different formulations is important for model validation, for assessing the reliability of model projections obtained under scenarios of climatic change, and for the development of models with a wide range of applicability. This paper reviews qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the structure and behaviour of forest gap models. As examples of qualitative model comparisons, the different formulations used for the heightdiameter relationship, for the maximum growth equation, and for the effects of temperature and drought on tree growth are reviewed. The variety of formulations currently in use has the potential to influence simulation results considerably, but we conclude that little is known on the sensitivity of the models in this respect. The quantitative model comparisons performed so far allow us to draw the following conclusions: (1) Gap models are quite sensitive to the formulation of climate-dependent processes under current climate, and this sensitivity is even more pronounced under a changed climate. (2) Adaptations of forest gap models to specific regions have required detailed sub-models of species life history, thus complicating model comparison. (3) Some of the complex models developed for region-specific applications can be simplified without hampering the realism with which they simulate species composition. (4) Attempts to apply the models without modification beyond the area for which they were developed have produced controversial results. It is concluded that the sensitivity of forest gap models to the exact process formulations should be examined carefully, and that more systematic comparisons of model behaviour at a range of test sites would be desirable. Such studies could improve our understanding of forest dynamics considerably, and they would help to focus future research activities with gap models.
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  • 7
    Publication Date: 2009-06-01
    Description: For the study of long-term processes in forests, gap models generally sacrifice accuracy (i.e., simulating system behavior in a quantitatively accurate manner) for generality (i.e., representing a broad range of systems’ behaviors with the same model). We selected the gap model ForClim to evaluate whether the local accuracy of forest succession models can be increased based on a parsimonious modeling approach that avoids the additional complexity of a 3D crown model, thus keeping parameter requirements low. We improved the representation of tree crowns by introducing feedbacks between (i) light availability and leaf area per tree and (ii) leaf area per tree and diameter growth rate to account for the self-pruning in real stands. The local accuracy of the new model, ForClim v2.9.5, was considerably improved in simulations at three long-term forest research sites in the Swiss Alps, while its generality was maintained as shown in simulations of potential natural vegetation along a broad environmental gradient in Central Europe. We conclude that the predictive ability of a model does not depend on its complexity, but on the reproduction of patterns. Most importantly, model complexity should be consistent with the objectives of the study and the level of system understanding.
    Print ISSN: 0045-5067
    Electronic ISSN: 1208-6037
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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  • 8
    Publication Date: 2003-02-01
    Description: Mortality is a crucial element of population dynamics. However, tree mortality is not well understood, particularly at the individual level. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine growth patterns (growth levels and growth trends) over different time windows that can be used to discriminate between dead and living Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees, (ii) optimize the selection of growth variables in logistic mortality models, and (iii) assess the impact of competition on recent growth in linear regression models. The logistic mortality model that we developed for mature stands classified an average of nearly 80% of the 119 trees from one site correctly as being dead or alive. While more than 50% of the variability of recent growth of living trees can be attributed to the influence of competition, this percentage was only 25% for standing dead trees. The predictive power of the logistic mortality model was validated successfully at two additional sites, where 29 of 41 (71%) and 34 of 42 (81%) trees were classified correctly, respectively. This supports the generality of the mortality model for Norway spruce in subalpine forests of the Alps. We conclude that growth trends in addition to the commonly used growth level significantly improve the prediction of growth-dependent tree mortality of Norway spruce.
    Print ISSN: 0045-5067
    Electronic ISSN: 1208-6037
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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  • 9
    Publication Date: 2017-07-01
    Description: The future development of forest ecosystems depends critically on tree mortality. However, the suitability of empirical mortality algorithms for extrapolation in space or time remains untested. We systematically analyzed the performance of 46 inventory-based mortality models available from the literature using nearly 80 000 independent records from 54 strict forest reserves in Germany and Switzerland covering 11 species. Mortality rates were predicted with higher accuracy if covariates for tree growth and (or) competition at the individual level were included and if models were applied within the same ecological zone. In contrast, classification of dead vs. living trees was only improved by growth variables. Management intensity in the calibration stands, as well as the census interval and size of the calibration datasets, did not influence model performance. Consequently, future approaches should make use of tree growth and competition at the level of individual trees. Mortality algorithms for applications over a restricted spatial extent and under current climate should be calibrated based on datasets from the same region, even if they are small. To obtain models with wide applicability and enhanced climatic sensitivity, the spatial variability of mortality should be addressed explicitly by considering environmental influences using data of high temporal resolution covering large ecological gradients. Finally, such models need to be validated and documented thoroughly.
    Print ISSN: 0045-5067
    Electronic ISSN: 1208-6037
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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  • 10
    Publication Date: 2006-11-01
    Description: Black snow mold (Herpotrichia juniperi (Duby) Petr.) infection and browsing byungulates influence the growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) saplings in subalpine forests in the European Alps. To isolate the impacts of artificial browsing (clipping of shoots) and snow mold infection on growth, we conducted a 2 year field experiment with planted saplings in two forest gaps in the subalpine zone of the Swiss Alps. In the first year (2003) saplings responded slightly positively to clipping and negatively to snow mold infection; sapling growth behavior was site-specific (ANOVA, r2 = 0.35). In 2004, saplings responded negatively to clipping, snow mold infection, long-lasting snow cover, and shading by ground vegetation (ANOVA, r2 = 0.59). The difference in mean annual growth rates between noninfected and infected saplings was large; long-lasting snow was found to enhance snow mold coverage. Removing these variables from general linear models strongly reduced model performance (d2 = 0.32 for the full model, d2 = 0.23 for no clipping, d2 = 0.16 for no snow cover). Sapling growth was negatively related to shading by ground vegetation, especially in 2004. We conclude that these biotic factors have a strong impact on growth, both individually and in combination, and that their effect is enhanced by interaction with environmental factors such as snow duration.
    Print ISSN: 0045-5067
    Electronic ISSN: 1208-6037
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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