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The individual-based forest landscape and disturbance model iLand: Overview, progress, and outlook

Author

Listed:
  • Rammer, Werner
  • Thom, Dominik
  • Baumann, Martin
  • Braziunas, Kristin
  • Dollinger, Christina
  • Kerber, Jonas
  • Mohr, Johannes
  • Seidl, Rupert

Abstract

Forest ecosystems are changing rapidly, and landscape-level processes such as disturbance and dispersal are key drivers of change. Consequently, forest landscape models are important tools for studying forest trajectories under changing environmental conditions and their impacts on ecosystem service provisioning. Here, we synthesize 12 years of development and application of the individual-based forest landscape and disturbance model iLand. Specifically, we describe the fundamental model logic and give an overview of model components introduced over the years. Additionally, we outline how to initialize, evaluate and parameterize the model for new applications. iLand is a process-based forest landscape model that simulates forest dynamics at the level of individual trees. It accounts for continuous processes (tree growth, mortality, and regeneration) as well as discontinuous disturbances (wind, wildfire, and biotic agents) and forest management. Simulations span multiple spatial and temporal scales, from individual trees to landscapes of 105 hectares, and from hourly disturbance dynamics to centuries of forest development. Environmental conditions are represented by daily climate data and high-resolution soil information. The model was designed for flexibly addressing a wide range of research questions, features a rich graphical user interface and comprehensive scripting support. The model is open source and comes with extensive online model documentation. iLand has hitherto been applied in 50 peer-reviewed simulation studies across three continents. Applications primarily focused on the effects of climate change, disturbances and forest management on forest dynamics, ecosystem service provisioning and forest biodiversity. Future model development could address the representation of belowground processes, biotic interactions, and landscape dynamics beyond forest ecosystems. We conclude that process-based simulation of landscape-scale forest dynamics at the level of individual trees has proven a valuable approach of forest landscape modeling.

Suggested Citation

  • Rammer, Werner & Thom, Dominik & Baumann, Martin & Braziunas, Kristin & Dollinger, Christina & Kerber, Jonas & Mohr, Johannes & Seidl, Rupert, 2024. "The individual-based forest landscape and disturbance model iLand: Overview, progress, and outlook," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 495(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:495:y:2024:i:c:s030438002400173x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110785
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seidl, Rupert & Rammer, Werner & Scheller, Robert M. & Spies, Thomas A., 2012. "An individual-based process model to simulate landscape-scale forest ecosystem dynamics," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 87-100.
    2. Cornelius Senf & Dirk Pflugmacher & Yang Zhiqiang & Julius Sebald & Jan Knorn & Mathias Neumann & Patrick Hostert & Rupert Seidl, 2018. "Canopy mortality has doubled in Europe’s temperate forests over the last three decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Ronny Rotbarth & Egbert H. Nes & Marten Scheffer & Jane Uhd Jepsen & Ole Petter Laksforsmo Vindstad & Chi Xu & Milena Holmgren, 2023. "Northern expansion is not compensating for southern declines in North American boreal forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Peringer, Alexander & Buttler, Alexandre & Gillet, François & Pătru-Stupariu, Ileana & Schulze, Kiowa A. & Stupariu, Mihai-Sorin & Rosenthal, Gert, 2017. "Disturbance-grazer-vegetation interactions maintain habitat diversity in mountain pasture-woodlands," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 359(C), pages 301-310.
    5. Galina Churkina & Alan Organschi & Christopher P. O. Reyer & Andrew Ruff & Kira Vinke & Zhu Liu & Barbara K. Reck & T. E. Graedel & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, 2020. "Buildings as a global carbon sink," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(4), pages 269-276, April.
    6. Keane, Robert E. & McKenzie, Donald & Falk, Donald A. & Smithwick, Erica A.H. & Miller, Carol & Kellogg, Lara-Karena B., 2015. "Representing climate, disturbance, and vegetation interactions in landscape models," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 309, pages 33-47.
    7. Nancy L. Harris & David A. Gibbs & Alessandro Baccini & Richard A. Birdsey & Sytze Bruin & Mary Farina & Lola Fatoyinbo & Matthew C. Hansen & Martin Herold & Richard A. Houghton & Peter V. Potapov & D, 2021. "Global maps of twenty-first century forest carbon fluxes," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(3), pages 234-240, March.
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