Modeled, climate-induced vegetation change at landscape, continental and global scales

Conference · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:6043458

Neilson, R P ^[1]

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1. Forest Service, Corvallis, OR (United States)

A vegetation distribution model has been constructed based on a mechanistic simulation of site water balance and vegetation leaf area index (LAI). Transpiration is deterministically related to LAI and stomatal conductance. The model predicts leaf area indices of woody and grass vegetation, such that soil water is just utilized during the growing season. The model (MAPSS) has been successfully calibrated to regional, continental and global vegetation patterns and is currently being implemented at a landscape scale. At the global scale, over thirty unique vegetation types are simulated. Under most 2XCO[sub 2] climatic scenarios, global forests undergo drought-induced decline, with decline being most severe in temperate and boreal regions. Increased drought stress is largely imparted by increases in Potential evapotranspiration that more than offset regional increases in precipitation. CO[sub 2]-induced, increased water-use-efficiency is more than negated under most future scenarios.

• OSTI ID: 6043458
• Report Number(s): CONF-930798-; CODEN: BECLAG
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Vol. 74:2; Conference: 78. annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting, Madison, WI (United States), 31 Jul - 4 Aug 1993; ISSN 0012-9623
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CLIMATIC CHANGE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
VARIATIONS
WATER
AVAILABILITY
BOREAL REGIONS
DROUGHTS
FORESTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANTS
RANGELANDS
ECOSYSTEMS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects