HR: 17:55h
AN: B24A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Modeling complex ecosystems with the Biome-BGC ecosystem process model
AU: * Heinsch, F A
EM: faithann@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: The University of Montana, NTSG, College of Forestry & Conservation, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
AU: Cook, B D
EM: brucecook@umn.edu
AF: University of Minnesota, Dept of Forest Resources, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Mu, Q
EM: qiaozhen@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: The University of Montana, NTSG, College of Forestry & Conservation, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
AU: Bond-Lamberty, B
EM: bpbond@wisc.edu
AF: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Forest Ecosystem Ecology, Madison, WI 53706, United States
AU: Bolstad, P V
EM: pbolstad@umn.edu
AF: University of Minnesota, Dept of Forest Resources, St. Paul, MN 55108, United States
AU: Davis, K J
EM: davis@meteo.psu.edu
AF: The Pennsylvania State University, Dept of Meteorology, University Park, PA 16802, United States
AU: Running, S W
EM: swr@ntsg.umt.edu
AF: The University of Montana, NTSG, College of Forestry & Conservation, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
AB: The WLEF tall tower near Park Falls, WI, provides a unique look at regional-scale carbon fluxes. As part of a suite of 8 towers in the Chequamegon Ecosystem Atmosphere Study (ChEAS), it is a valuable control on upscaling methods such as ecosystem process models. We use the Biome-BGC ecosystem process model over an area within a 4.5-km radius of the tower to test the model's ability to capture the dynamics of this complex ecosystem (30% wetlands). Results suggest that the standard Biome-BGC model is not adequate for estimating the carbon balance of this landscape. There are two reasons for the limitations of the current model: (1) disturbance (e.g., logging) has affected a portion of the landscape, replacing mature forests with rapidly growing smaller forests and (2) wetlands within the region, which include both sedge-dominated and moss-dominated systems. In addition, the ChEAS suite of flux towers provides a valuable test bed for the models, allowing us to explore their similarities, and more importantly, their differences. Some of the features in these models are slated to become part of the new BGC5, the next major model release, and, as such, we must understand the effects of these models on modeled outputs.
DE: 0414 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling (0412, 0793, 1615, 4805, 4912)
DE: 0428 Carbon cycling (4806)
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly