Aggregation of individual trees and patches in forest succession models: Capturing variability with height structured, random, spatial distributions
Authored by H Lischke, TJ Loffler, A Fischlin
Date Published: 1998
DOI: 10.1006/tpbi.1998.1378
Sponsors:
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Platforms:
RAMSES
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Individual based, stochastic forest patch models have the potential to
realistically describe forest dynamics. However, they are mathematically
intransparent and need long computing times. We simplified such a forest
patch model by aggregating the individual trees on many patches to
height-structured tree populations with theoretical random dispersions
over the whole simulated forest area. The resulting distribution-based
model produced results similar to those of the patch model under a wide
range of conditions. We concluded that the height-structured tree
dispersion is an adequate population descriptor to capture the
stochastic variability in a forest and that the new approach is
generally applicable to any patch model. The simplified model required
only 4.1\% of the computing time needed by the patch model. Hence, this
new model type is well-suited for applications where a large number of
dynamic forest simulations is required. (C) 1998 Academic Press.
Tags
Simulation
Dynamics
pattern
growth
Gap models
Deciduous forest
Calculating temperature-dependence
Long-time periods
Climate gradients
Size-distribution