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Sensitivity of simulated productivity to soil characteristics and plant water uptake along drought gradients in the Swiss Alps

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  • Manusch, Corina
  • Bugmann, Harald
  • Wolf, Annett

Abstract

Future climate scenarios indicate a change in precipitation patterns, i.e. in frequency and intensity, and thus a change of water availability for plants. The consequences for ecosystems can be evaluated using dynamic vegetation models (DVMs), but the description of soil properties and assumptions about root distribution and functionality are rather simplistic in many DVMs. We use the LPJ-GUESS model to evaluate (i) the usage of high-quality data sources for describing soil properties and (ii) the assumptions regarding roots. Specifically, we compare simulated carbon uptake when applying the frequently used FAO global soil map vs. soil measurements from 98 sites in the driest regions of Switzerland. The multi-layer soil data were used either as observed (non-aggregated) or aggregated into two layers. At sites with low water holding capacities (whc<100mm) and a low precipitation sum that does not compensate for small whc, the FAO data led to a higher annual net primary productivity (ANPP) than when using observed soil data. In contrast under wetter conditions, the description of soil data did not make much difference. A comparison of different rooting strategies revealed a higher importance of vertical root distribution per soil layer than variable rooting depths due to the overriding effect of the hydrological assumptions in the model. We conclude that it is pivotal to use high-quality soil data and possibly to refine the hydrological assumptions in DVMs when attempting to study drought impacts on ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Manusch, Corina & Bugmann, Harald & Wolf, Annett, 2014. "Sensitivity of simulated productivity to soil characteristics and plant water uptake along drought gradients in the Swiss Alps," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 282(C), pages 25-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:282:y:2014:i:c:p:25-34
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.03.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Manusch, Corina & Bugmann, Harald & Heiri, Caroline & Wolf, Annett, 2012. "Tree mortality in dynamic vegetation models – A key feature for accurately simulating forest properties," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 243(C), pages 101-111.
    2. Wolf, Annett, 2011. "Estimating the potential impact of vegetation on the water cycle requires accurate soil water parameter estimation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(15), pages 2595-2605.
    3. David C. Frank & Jan Esper & Christoph C. Raible & Ulf Büntgen & Valerie Trouet & Benjamin Stocker & Fortunat Joos, 2010. "Ensemble reconstruction constraints on the global carbon cycle sensitivity to climate," Nature, Nature, vol. 463(7280), pages 527-530, January.
    4. Sato, Hisashi & Itoh, Akihiko & Kohyama, Takashi, 2007. "SEIB–DGVM: A new Dynamic Global Vegetation Model using a spatially explicit individual-based approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 200(3), pages 279-307.
    5. Annett Wolf & Patrick Lazzarotto & Harald Bugmann, 2012. "The relative importance of land use and climatic change in Alpine catchments," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 279-300, March.
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    1. Huber, Nica & Bugmann, Harald & Lafond, Valentine, 2018. "Global sensitivity analysis of a dynamic vegetation model: Model sensitivity depends on successional time, climate and competitive interactions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 368(C), pages 377-390.

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