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Title: Technical Note: A generic law-of-the-minimum flux limiter for simulating substrate limitation in biogeochemical models

Abstract

We present a generic flux limiter to account for mass limitations from an arbitrary number of substrates in a biogeochemical reaction network. The flux limiter is based on the observation that substrate (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus) limitation in biogeochemical models can be represented as to ensure mass conservative and non-negative numerical solutions to the governing ordinary differential equations. Application of the flux limiter includes two steps: (1) formulation of the biogeochemical processes with a matrix of stoichiometric coefficients and (2) application of Liebig's law of the minimum using the dynamic stoichiometric relationship of the reactants. This approach contrasts with the ad hoc down-regulation approaches that are implemented in many existing models (such as CLM4.5 and the ACME (Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy) Land Model (ALM)) of carbon and nutrient interactions, which are error prone when adding new processes, even for experienced modelers. Through an example implementation with a CENTURY-like decomposition model that includes carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, we show that our approach (1) produced almost identical results to that from the ad hoc down-regulation approaches under non-limiting nutrient conditions, (2) properly resolved the negative solutions under substrate-limited conditions where the simple clipping approach failed, (3) successfully avoided the potential conceptual ambiguities that are implied by thosemore » ad hoc down-regulation approaches. We expect our approach will make future biogeochemical models easier to improve and more robust.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Climate and Carbon Sciences
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1377412
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Biogeosciences (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Biogeosciences (Online); Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1726-4189
Publisher:
European Geosciences Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES

Citation Formats

Tang, J. Y., and Riley, W. J. Technical Note: A generic law-of-the-minimum flux limiter for simulating substrate limitation in biogeochemical models. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.5194/bg-13-723-2016.
Tang, J. Y., & Riley, W. J. Technical Note: A generic law-of-the-minimum flux limiter for simulating substrate limitation in biogeochemical models. United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-723-2016
Tang, J. Y., and Riley, W. J. Fri . "Technical Note: A generic law-of-the-minimum flux limiter for simulating substrate limitation in biogeochemical models". United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-723-2016. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1377412.
@article{osti_1377412,
title = {Technical Note: A generic law-of-the-minimum flux limiter for simulating substrate limitation in biogeochemical models},
author = {Tang, J. Y. and Riley, W. J.},
abstractNote = {We present a generic flux limiter to account for mass limitations from an arbitrary number of substrates in a biogeochemical reaction network. The flux limiter is based on the observation that substrate (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus) limitation in biogeochemical models can be represented as to ensure mass conservative and non-negative numerical solutions to the governing ordinary differential equations. Application of the flux limiter includes two steps: (1) formulation of the biogeochemical processes with a matrix of stoichiometric coefficients and (2) application of Liebig's law of the minimum using the dynamic stoichiometric relationship of the reactants. This approach contrasts with the ad hoc down-regulation approaches that are implemented in many existing models (such as CLM4.5 and the ACME (Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy) Land Model (ALM)) of carbon and nutrient interactions, which are error prone when adding new processes, even for experienced modelers. Through an example implementation with a CENTURY-like decomposition model that includes carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, we show that our approach (1) produced almost identical results to that from the ad hoc down-regulation approaches under non-limiting nutrient conditions, (2) properly resolved the negative solutions under substrate-limited conditions where the simple clipping approach failed, (3) successfully avoided the potential conceptual ambiguities that are implied by those ad hoc down-regulation approaches. We expect our approach will make future biogeochemical models easier to improve and more robust.},
doi = {10.5194/bg-13-723-2016},
journal = {Biogeosciences (Online)},
number = 3,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Feb 05 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

SUPECA kinetics for scaling redox reactions in networks of mixed substrates and consumers and an example application to aerobic soil respiration
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