National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Medlyn et al. 2015

Medlyn, B.E., S. Zaehle, M.G. De Kauwe, A.P. Walker, M.C. Dietze, P.J. Hanson, T. Hickler, A.K. Jain, Y. Luo, W. Parton, I.C. Prentice, P.E. Thornton, S. Wang, Y.-P. Wang, E. Weng, C.M. Iversen, H.R. McCarthy, J.M. Warren, R. Oren, and R.J. Norby, 2015: Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models. Nat. Clim. Change, 5, 528-534, doi:10.1038/nclimate2621.

Ecosystem responses to rising CO₂ concentrations are a major source of uncertainty in climate change projections. Data from ecosystem-scale Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a unique opportunity to reduce this uncertainty. The recent FACE Model-Data Synthesis project aimed to use the information gathered in two forest FACE experiments to assess and improve land ecosystem models. A new 'assumption-centred' model intercomparison approach was used, in which participating models were evaluated against experimental data based on the ways in which they represent key ecological processes. By identifying and evaluating the main assumptions causing differences among models, the assumption-centred approach produced a clear roadmap for reducing model uncertainty. Here, we explain this approach and summarize the resulting research agenda. We encourage the application of this approach in other model intercomparison projects to fundamentally improve predictive understanding of the Earth system.

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@article{me06200a,
  author={Medlyn, B. E. and Zaehle, S. and De Kauwe, M. G. and Walker, A. P. and Dietze, M. C. and Hanson, P. J. and Hickler, T. and Jain, A. K. and Luo, Y. and Parton, W. and Prentice, I. C. and Thornton, P. E. and Wang, S. and Wang, Y.-P. and Weng, E. and Iversen, C. M. and McCarthy, H. R. and Warren, J. M. and Oren, R. and Norby, R. J.},
  title={Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models},
  year={2015},
  journal={Nature Climate Change},
  volume={5},
  pages={528--534},
  doi={10.1038/nclimate2621},
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - me06200a
AU  - Medlyn, B. E.
AU  - Zaehle, S.
AU  - De Kauwe, M. G.
AU  - Walker, A. P.
AU  - Dietze, M. C.
AU  - Hanson, P. J.
AU  - Hickler, T.
AU  - Jain, A. K.
AU  - Luo, Y.
AU  - Parton, W.
AU  - Prentice, I. C.
AU  - Thornton, P. E.
AU  - Wang, S.
AU  - Wang, Y.-P.
AU  - Weng, E.
AU  - Iversen, C. M.
AU  - McCarthy, H. R.
AU  - Warren, J. M.
AU  - Oren, R.
AU  - Norby, R. J.
PY  - 2015
TI  - Using ecosystem experiments to improve vegetation models
JA  - Nat. Clim. Change
JO  - Nature Climate Change
VL  - 5
SP  - 528
EP  - 534
DO  - 10.1038/nclimate2621
ER  -

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