Publication Date:
2011-08-30
Description:
We used a regionally modified global vegetation model (BIOME4-Tibet) to simulate biome distribution on the Tibetan Plateau under current climate conditions derived from regional meteorological observations. The bioclimatic limits (mean temperatures of the coldest and warmest months, minimum temperature, growing degreedays on 5 °C and 0 °C bases) for some key alpine plant functional types (temperate deciduous and conifer trees, boreal deciduous and conifer trees, desert woody plants, tundra shrubs, cold herbaceous plants, and lichens/forbs) were redefined based on regional vegetation-climate relationships. Modern vegetation maps confirmed that the BIOME4-Tibet model does a better job of simulating biome patterns on the plateau (gridcell agreement 52%) than the original BIOME4 model (35%). This improved model enhanced our ability to simulate temperate conifer forest, cool conifer and mixed forest, evergreen taiga, temperate xerophytic shrubland, temperate grassland and desert, and steppe and shrub tundra biomes, but made a negligible or reduced difference to the prediction of temperate deciduous forest, warm-temperate mixed forest, and three tundra biomes (erect dwarf-shrub tundra, prostrate dwarfshrub tundra, and cushion forb, lichen, and moss tundra). Future modification of the vegetation model, by increasing the number of shrub and herb plant functional types, re-parameterization of more precise bioclimatic constraints, and improved representation of soil, permafrost, and snow processes, will be needed to better characterize the distribution of alpine vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau. Content Type Journal Article Pages 429-441 DOI 10.1657/1938-4246-43.3.429 Authors Jian Ni, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A43, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany Ulrike Herzschuh, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A43, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany Journal Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research Online ISSN 1938-4246 Print ISSN 1523-0430 Journal Volume Volume 43 Journal Issue Volume 43, Number 3 / August 2011
Print ISSN:
1523-0430
Electronic ISSN:
1938-4246
Topics:
Geography
,
Geosciences
