Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models

Belinda E. Medlyn, Sönke Zaehle, Martin G. De Kauwe, Anthony P. Walker, Michael C. Dietze, Paul J. Hanson, Thomas Hickler, Atul K. Jain, Yiqi Luo, William Parton, I. Colin Prentice, Peter E. Thornton, Shusen Wang, Ying-Ping Wang, Ensheng Weng, Colleen M. Iversen, Heather R. McCarthy, Jeffrey M. Warren, Ram Oren, Richard J. Norby

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    256 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Ecosystem responses to rising CO2 concentrations are a major source of uncertainty in climate change projections. Data from ecosystem-scale Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a unique opportunity to reduce this uncertainty. The recent FACE Model-Data Synthesis project aimed to use the information gathered in two forest FACE experiments to assess and improve land ecosystem models. A new 'assumption-centred' model intercomparison approach was used, in which participating models were evaluated against experimental data based on the ways in which they represent key ecological processes. By identifying and evaluating the main assumptions causing differences among models, the assumption-centred approach produced a clear roadmap for reducing model uncertainty. Here, we explain this approach and summarize the resulting research agenda. We encourage the application of this approach in other model intercomparison projects to fundamentally improve predictive understanding of the Earth system.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)528-534
    Number of pages7
    JournalNature Climate Change
    Volume5
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Keywords

    • carbon dioxide
    • climate changes
    • ecosystems
    • experiments

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this