TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of the new CNDV option of the community land model
T2 - Effects of dynamic vegetation and interactive nitrogen on CLM4 means and variability
AU - Castillo, C. Kendra Gotangco
AU - Levis, Samuel
AU - Thornton, Peter
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - The Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4) includes the option to run the prognostic carbon- nitrogen (CN) model with dynamic vegetation (CNDV). CNDV, which simulates unmanaged vegetation, modifies the CN framework to implement plant biogeography updates. CNDV simulates a reasonable present-day distribution of plant functional types but underestimates tundra vegetation cover. The CNDV simulation is compared against a CN simulation using a vegetation distribution generated by CNDV and against a carbon-only simulation with prescribed nitrogen limitation (CDV). The comparisons focus on the means and variability of carbon pools and fluxes and biophysical factors, such as albedo, surface radiation, and heat fluxes. The study assesses the relative importance of incorporating interactive nitrogen (CDV to CNDV) versus interactive biogeography (CN to CNDV) in present-day equilibrium simulations. None of the three configurations performs consistently better in simulating carbon or biophysical variables compared to observational estimates. The interactive nitrogen (N) cycle reduces annual means and interannual variability more than dynamic vegetation. Dynamic vegetation reduces seasonal variability in leaf area and, therefore, in moisture fluxes and surface albedo. The interactive N cycle has the opposite effect of enhancing seasonal variability in moisture fluxes and albedo. CNDV contains greater degrees of freedom than CN or CDV by adjusting both through nitrogen-carbon interactions and through vegetation establishment and mortality. Thus, in these equilibrium simulations, CNDV acts as a stronger "regulator" of variability compared to the other configurations. Discussed are plausible explanations for this behavior, which has been shown in past studies to improve climate simulations through better represented climate- vegetation interactions.
AB - The Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4) includes the option to run the prognostic carbon- nitrogen (CN) model with dynamic vegetation (CNDV). CNDV, which simulates unmanaged vegetation, modifies the CN framework to implement plant biogeography updates. CNDV simulates a reasonable present-day distribution of plant functional types but underestimates tundra vegetation cover. The CNDV simulation is compared against a CN simulation using a vegetation distribution generated by CNDV and against a carbon-only simulation with prescribed nitrogen limitation (CDV). The comparisons focus on the means and variability of carbon pools and fluxes and biophysical factors, such as albedo, surface radiation, and heat fluxes. The study assesses the relative importance of incorporating interactive nitrogen (CDV to CNDV) versus interactive biogeography (CN to CNDV) in present-day equilibrium simulations. None of the three configurations performs consistently better in simulating carbon or biophysical variables compared to observational estimates. The interactive nitrogen (N) cycle reduces annual means and interannual variability more than dynamic vegetation. Dynamic vegetation reduces seasonal variability in leaf area and, therefore, in moisture fluxes and surface albedo. The interactive N cycle has the opposite effect of enhancing seasonal variability in moisture fluxes and albedo. CNDV contains greater degrees of freedom than CN or CDV by adjusting both through nitrogen-carbon interactions and through vegetation establishment and mortality. Thus, in these equilibrium simulations, CNDV acts as a stronger "regulator" of variability compared to the other configurations. Discussed are plausible explanations for this behavior, which has been shown in past studies to improve climate simulations through better represented climate- vegetation interactions.
KW - Interannual variability
KW - Land surface model
KW - Seasonal variability
KW - Vegetation-atmosphere interactions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862734182&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00372.1
DO - 10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00372.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84862734182
SN - 0894-8755
VL - 25
SP - 3702
EP - 3714
JO - Journal of Climate
JF - Journal of Climate
IS - 11
ER -