Plant-soil processes in Eriophorum vaginatum tussock tundra in Alaska: a systems modeling approach
The Arctic Tundra Simulator (ARTUS) is a computer-based simulation model of Eriophorum vaginatum tussock tundra ecosystems found in north central Alaska. ARTUS simulates the annual patterns of heat and water balance, carbon fixation, plant growth, and nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. ARTUS runs in 1-d time steps for a growing season from May 1 to September 17 and is intended to run for several years. The abiotic section of ARTUS encodes the seasonal input of the environmental driving variables and calculates the resultant thermal and water regimes to define the heat and water environments for the tussock tundra system. The primary driving variables are daily total solar radiation, air temperature, precipitation, surface albedo, wind, and sky conditions. The soil compartment contains three organic horizons, which are recognized by their state of physical and chemical decomposition, and one mineral horizon. Six vascular plant species and four moss species are simulated. The model has seven compartments for each vascular plant species: total nonstructural carbohydrates, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, leaves grown in the current season, leaves grown in previous years, conducting and storage stems plus roots, and absorbing roots. In ARTUS the functional unit of the plant is the shoot system or ramet. Each shoot system consists of leaves, stems, fine roots (which do not have secondary growth and have a limited life-span), and larger roots, which have secondary growth and an extended life-span. Although plant processes are based on individual shoots, the ARTUS model as a whole is based on a square meter of ground. Values per square meter are calculated from the values per shoot by multiplying by the shoot density of each species. 80 references, 7 figures, 18 tables.
- Research Organization:
- San Diego State Univ., CA
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-77EV01525
- OSTI ID:
- 5861659
- Journal Information:
- Ecol. Monogr.; (United States), Vol. 54:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CARBON
CLIMATES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENERGY BUDGETS
LEAVES
MINERAL CYCLING
NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
ROOTS
SOILS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TUNDRA
VISIBLE RADIATION
WIND
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
GROWTH
NONMETALS
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATIONS
SIMULATION
510100* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)