Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models

作者:Medlyn Belinda E*; Zaehle Soenke; De Kauwe Martin G; Walker Anthony P; Dietze Michael C; Hanson Paul J; Hickler Thomas; Jain Atul K; Luo Yiqi; Parton William; Prentice I Colin; Thornton Peter E; Wang Shusen; Wang Ying Ping; Weng Ensheng; Iversen Colleen M; McCarthy Heather R; Warren Jeffrey M; Oren Ram; Norby Richard J
来源:Nature Climate Change, 2015, 5(6): 528-534.
DOI:10.1038/nclimate2621

摘要

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.