Model of the seasonal and perennial carbon dynamics in deciduous-type forests controlled by climatic variables

• Published in: Ecological modelling 1989, Vol.49 (1), p.101-124
• Main Authors: Janecek, A., Benderoth, G., Lüdeke, M.K.B., Kindermann, J., Kohlmaier, G.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; carbon cycle; carbon dioxide; climate; ecology; forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; mathematical models; meteorology; Synecology; temperate environments
• ISSN: 0304-3800; 1872-7026
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-3800(89)90046-X

A model of the seasonal and long-term carbon dynamics of temperature deciduous forests and tropical broadleaved evergreen forests in response to variations of the climatic parameters light intensity and air temperature, is proposed in order to be able to assess the influence of (future) climatic change on vegetation. The driving variables operate upon carbon assimilation and respiration of a two-compartment model of living biomass. The model allocation of assimilates depends on the developmental stage of the living biomass and on the climatic variables, without prescribing the time course of the phenophases explicitly. Almost all model parameters can be interpreted in terms of measurable physiological/ecological quantities, restricting the parameter values to a limited range. Measured growth dynamics and annual CO 2 fluxes for a non-seasonal tropical forest and two different temperate deciduous forest stands are reproduced satisfactorily.