Modelling CO2 and energy exchanges in a northern semiarid grassland using the carbon- and nitrogen-coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (C-CLASS)

The development of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) simulations is one of the ongoing efforts in the land surface schemes of climate models. The C- and N-coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme (C-CLASS) was recently modified to better represent grassland ecosystems. Improvements include revised plant growth and senescence calculations that are driven by the plant C balance between fixation and respiration, and leaf-out and leaf-fall schemes that are regulated by the seasonal dynamics of C and N reserves. These revisions were developed to better simulate the stress-related senescence and regrowth of perennials. The model was tested with observations of surface carbon and energy fluxes, soil temperature and moisture, and plant growth during 3 years of declining precipitation at a northern semiarid grassland near Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. The R² and standard deviations between the simulated and observed half-hourly fluxes were 0.95 and 22.5 W m⁻² for net radiation, 0.82 and 42.1 W m⁻² for sensible heat, 0.66 and 29.2 W m⁻² for latent heat, and 0.63 and 0.95 μmol C m⁻² s⁻¹ for net CO₂ exchange. The model and observations both showed a strong impact of declining precipitation on annual carbon budgets in this semi-arid grassland. In a wet year (1998, precipitation = 482 mm), the ecosystem acted as a strong C sink (92 g C m⁻² modelled and 109 g C m⁻² measured from June 20th to December 31st). In a near-normal year (1999, precipitation = 341 mm), a smaller C sink was indicated (24 g C m⁻² modelled and 21 g C m⁻² measured). In a dry year (2000, precipitation = 276 mm), the ecosystem acted as a small C source (−18 g C m⁻² modelled and −17 g C m⁻² measured).     

Nitrogen controls on ecosystem carbon sequestration: a model implementation and application to Saskatchewan,Canada

A plant–soil nitrogen (N) cycling model was developed and incorporated into the Integrated BIosphere Simulator (IBIS) of Foley et al. [Foley, J.A., Prentice, I.C., Ramankutty, N., Levis, S., Pollard, D., Sitch, S., Haxeltine, A., 1996. An integrated biosphere model of land surface process, terrestrial carbon balance and vegetation dynamics. Global Biogeochem. Cycles 10, 603–628]. In the N-model, soil mineral N regulates ecosystem carbon (C) fluxes and ecosystem C:N ratios. Net primary productivity (NPP) is controlled by feedbacks from both leaf C:N and soil mineral N. Leaf C:N determines the foliar and canopy photosynthesis rates, while soil mineral N determines the N availability for plant growth and the efficiency of biomass construction. Nitrogen controls on the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) are implemented through N immobilization and mineralization separately. The model allows greater SOM mineralization at lower mineral N, and conversely, allows greater N immobilization at higher mineral N. The model's seasonal and inter-annual behaviours are demonstrated. A regional simulation for Saskatchewan, Canada, was performed for the period 1851–2000 at a 10 km × 10 km resolution. Simulated NPP was compared with high-resolution (1 km × 1 km) NPP estimated from remote sensing data using the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS) [Liu, J., Chen, J.M., Cihlar, J., Park, W.M., 1997. A process-based boreal ecosystem productivity simulator using remote sensing inputs. Remote Sens. Environ. 44, 81–87]. The agreement between IBIS and BEPS, particularly in NPP spatial variation, was considerably improved when the N controls were introduced into IBIS.     

Modeled carbon sequestration variation in a linked erosion–deposition system

Unraveling the consequences of hydrologic transport on carbon (C) storage will help identify feedbacks between land management alternatives, climate change, and soil-vegetation-atmospheric-transfers (SVATs) of C. There is a need for theoretically driven models of erosion and deposition that includes transport induced mineralization to better understand the controls on SVATs of C. Here we present a model developed using a systems-dynamic approach that coupled C-SVATs at a 2-day resolution with a discrete event erosion–deposition model occurring with a prescribed return interval. Five possible mass-balance transformations of C occurring between the two patches were explicitly modeled: net primary production (NPP), decomposition, erosion, transport induced mineralization, and deposition. The net C-SVAT, NPP minus decomposition, exhibited three stable points of no net C flux. Starting with arbitrary initial C pool in each patch above the bifurcation point, the model approached a quasi-steady state, which included both the short-term and longer term consequences of erosion; in the baseline simulation 5080 g C m⁻² was stored prior to erosion and 100 years of low intensity erosion 4840 g C m⁻² SOC remained. Low intensity erosion also generated spatial heterogeneity; from an initial homogeneous distribution to 40% of the C stored in the eroded patch and 60% of the C stored in the deposition patch. Erosion reduction resulted in a corresponding increase in total soil C content that was positively related to the magnitude of erosion reduction. In conjunction with providing a modeling framework for reducing the uncertainty in C-SVAT, this model is a prototype of a growing theory of ecosystem processes within spatially explicit landscapes, a meta-ecosystem model.     

Release thresholds strongly determine the range of seed dispersal by wind

The effect of the seed abscission process on the dispersal distance of seeds has never been studied explicitly and is often ignored in studies that aim to estimate the seed shadows of species. To examine the importance of the abscission process for the seed shadow we used a seed trajectory model that keeps track of the release threshold dynamics of the individual seeds on mother plant. We defined the release threshold as the critical wind speed that induces a mechanical force that is just large enough to release a seed from its mother plant. The model used real wind speed sequences and seed appearance over time on the mother plant.Several calculations were performed to investigate the effect of release thresholds dynamics on seed shadow of two herbaceous species with contrasting terminal velocity values (V_t): Centaurea jacea (V_t = 4.1 m s⁻¹) and Hypochaeris radicata (V_t = 0.49 m s⁻¹).Release thresholds were responsible for a two-fold increase of median dispersal distances in both species. Tails of the seed shadows, the fraction of seeds that travel furthest, were even more sensitive and increased with a factor 4.5 for Centaurea and 7.0 for Hypochaeris. Our work indicates that the abscission process appears to be very important and suggests that dispersal distance of plants is currently severely underestimated, which, in turn, has major consequences for our current understanding of the distribution, metapopulation dynamics and survival of plant species.     

Artisanal fishing and coastal conservation in West Africa

Artisanal fishing is an activity which has long occupied an important place on the West African coast. In less than 20 years, the increasingly widespread use of motors in fishing boats and cold storage facilities both on board and on land have enabled fishermen to master the constraints of space and time. Furthermore, globalization has created a demand for new products, thus influencing the behaviour of fishermen and consequently the status of some fish, turtle and marine mammal species. Development policies for artisanal fishing do not adequately reflect the importance of these changes. They tend to use inappropriate scales of reference, be it spatially (national borders take precedence over ecosystems) or temporally (the long-term consequences of development plans are seldom considered). Some international conservation organizations are testing promising new approaches to managing resources more sustainably and restoring degraded ecosystems, and their recent experiences can serve as useful examples to others. It is recommended to grant special rights of access to resident fishermen. In defending ‘their’ resources, they will also protect the ecological functions of the area. Close collaboration with administrations and development assistance agencies is needed to assess consequences of political decisions on the use of resources. The important role of marine protected areas as a tool for fishing management should be better documented and strengthened. These areas should not be considered as isolated units but rather as vital parts of a comprehensive system for improved coastal zone management. Consistent with the ecosystem approach, fishermen and their communities, being the main users of coastal resources, should also play a major role in the design and implementation of any fishing management actions.     

A process-based model of nitrogen cycling in forest plantations: Part II. Simulating growth and nitrogen mineralisation of Eucalyptus globulus plantations in south-western Australia

We applied a new version of the G’DAY ecosystem model to short-rotation plantations of Eucalyptus globulus growing under a Mediterranean climate in south-western Australia. The new version, that includes modified submodels for biomass production, water balance, litter and soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, and soil inorganic N balance, was parameterised and applied to three experimental eucalypt sites (Mumballup, Darkan and Northcliffe) of contrasting productivity. With a common base set of parameter values, the model was able to correctly reproduce observed time series of soil water content, canopy leaf area index and stemwood data at the three sites. The model's ability to simulate soil N supply under forest plantations was tested by simulating N mineralisation at each of the three sites over the duration of the experiment (10 years). Simulated annual net N mineralisation in the litter and top 20 cm soil layer ranged from 50 to 170 kg N ha⁻¹ across the sites as a result of differences in rates of litter production, SOM and litter decomposition, and microbial N immobilisation and (re-)mineralisation. Simulations of annual soil N mineralisation were similar to measured rates over a 3-year period, except for an overestimation in 1 year at Mumballup and 2 years at Darkan. Model results indicated the importance of fine root production and turnover for N supply. As plantations age, supply of N to trees increasingly originates from litter decomposition, while the contribution from decomposition of SOM decreases. Although major soil feedbacks associated with litter production, decomposition and N availability are adequately integrated into G’DAY, further work is required in some aspects of the model, including the utility of the C-allocation submodel over a wide range of site conditions and silvicultural treatments.     

LANDIS and forest landscape models

This paper provides contextual documentation of the LANDIS model development to provide a framework for the other papers in this special issue. The LANDIS model of forest landscape disturbance and succession was developed since the early 1990s as a research and management tool that optimizes the possible landscape extent (100 s ha to 1000 s km²), while providing mechanistic detail adequate for a broad range of potential problems. LANDIS is a raster model, and operates on landscapes mapped as cells, containing tree species age classes. Spatial processes, such as seed dispersal, and disturbances such as fire, wind, and harvesting can occur. LANDIS development benefited from the modelling and research progress of the 1960s to the1980s, including the growth of landscape ecology during the 1980s. In the past decade the model has been used by colleagues across North America, as well as in Europe and China. This has been useful to those not able to undertake the cost and effort of developing their own model, and it has provided a growing diverse set of test landscapes for the model. These areas include temperate, southern, and boreal forests of eastern North America, to montane and boreal western forests, coastal California forest and shrub systems, boreal Finnish forests, and montane forests in Switzerland and northeastern China. The LANDIS model continues to be refined and developed. Papers in this special issue document recent work. Future goals include integration within a larger land use change model, and applications to landscape and regional global change projection based on newly incorporated biomass and carbon dynamics.     

A box model of carrying capacity for suspended mussel aquaculture in Lagune de la Grande-Entrée,Iles-de-la-Madeleine,Québec

An object-oriented model of environment–mussel aquaculture interactions and mussel carrying-capacity within Lagune de la Grande-Entrée (GEL), Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Québec, was constructed to assist in development of sustainable mussel culture in this region. A multiple box ecosystem model for GEL tied to the output of a hydrodynamic model was constructed using Simile software, which has inherent ability to represent spatial elements and specify water exchange between modelled regions. Mussel growth and other field data were used for model validation. Plackett–Burman sensitivity analysis demonstrated that a variety of bioenergetic parameters of zooplankton and phytoplankton submodels were important in model outcomes. Model results demonstrated that mussel aquaculture can be further developed throughout the lagoon. At present culture densities, phytoplankton depletion is minimal, and there is little food limitation of mussel growth. Results indicated that increased stocking density of mussels in the existing farm will lead to decreased mass per individual mussel. Depending on the location of new farm emplacement within the lagoon, implementation of new aquaculture sites either reduced mussel growth in the existing farm due to depletion of phytoplankton, or exhibited minimum negative impact on the existing farm. With development throughout GEL, an excess of phytoplankton was observed during the year in all modelled regions, even at stocking densities as high as 20 mussels m⁻³. Although mussels cultured at this density do not substantially impact the ecosystem, their growth is controlled by the flux of phytoplankton food and abundance of zooplankton competitors. This model provides an effective tool to examine expansion of shellfish farming to new areas, balancing culture location and density.     

Three-dimensional modeling of the lower trophic levels in the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)

The water and the ecosystem dynamics of the Ria de Aveiro, a shallow, multi-branch lagoon located on the northwest coast of Portugal, are simulated using a new fully coupled 3D modeling system. This model couples the hydrodynamic model SELFE (semi-implicit Eulerian-Lagrangian finite element) and an ecological model extended from EcoSim 2.0 to represent zooplankton dynamics. The model application is based on an unstructured grid spatial discretization, which is particularly appropriate for this system given its complex geometry. The baroclinic circulation is calibrated and validated for different environmental conditions, leading to velocity errors smaller than 5 cm/s across the lagoon. Ecological simulations, focused on zooplankton dynamics represented by a site-specific formulation, are then presented and compared against field data for two contrasting environmental conditions: Autumn 2000 and Spring 2001. Results show that the fully coupled model is able to reproduce the dynamics of the ecosystem in the Spring 2001, fitting the model results inside the range of data variation. During this period zooplankton differences between data and model results are of about 0.005 mg C/l (60%), while other ecological tracers’ differences are generally smaller than 20–30% along the several branches of the lagoon. In the Autumn 2000, the model tends to overestimate zooplankton by a factor of 10 and to underestimate phytoplankton and ammonium, with discrepancies of about 0.1 mg C/l and 4.8 μmol N/l, respectively. Factors like the ecological conditions imposed at the boundaries, the input parameters of the ecological model and the simplification of the ecosystem structure, since phytoplankton is the only primary producer considered, may explain the observed differences.     

Artificial neural network approach for modelling nitrogen dioxide dispersion from vehicular exhaust emissions

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are useful alternative techniques in modelling the complex vehicular exhaust emission (VEE) dispersion phenomena. This paper describes a step-by-step procedure to model the nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) dispersion phenomena using the ANN technique. The ANN-based NO₂ models are developed at two air-quality-control regions (AQCRs), one, representing, a traffic intersection (AQCR1) and the other, an arterial road (AQCR2) in the Delhi city. The models are unique in the sense that they are developed for ‘heterogeneous¹’ traffic conditions and tropical meteorology. The inputs to the model consist of 10 meteorological and 6 traffic characteristic variables. Two-year data, from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1998 has been used for model training and data from 1 January to 31 December 1999, for model testing and evaluation purposes. The results show satisfactory performance of the ANN-based NO₂ models on the evaluation data set at both the AQCRs (d = 0.76 for AQCR1, and d = 0. 59 for AQCR2).     

Modelling carbon storage in highly fragmented and human-dominated landscapes: Linking land-cover patterns and ecosystem models

To extend coupled human–environment systems research and include the ecological effects of land-use and land-cover change and policy scenarios, we present an analysis of the effects of forest patch size and shape and landscape pattern on carbon storage estimated by BIOME-BGC. We evaluate the effects of including within-patch and landscape-scale heterogeneity in air temperature on carbon estimates using two modelling experiments. In the first, we combine fieldwork, spatial analysis, and BIOME-BGC at a 15-m resolution to estimate carbon storage in the highly fragmented and human-dominated landscape of Southeastern Michigan, USA. In the second, we perform the same analysis on 12 hypothetical landscapes that differ only in their degree of fragmentation. For each experiment we conduct four air-temperature treatments, three guided by field-based data and one empirically informed by local National Weather Service station data. The three field data sets were measured (1) exterior to a forest patch, (2) from the patch edge inward to 60 m on east-, south-, and west-facing aspects, separately, and (3) interior to that forest patch. Our field-data analysis revealed a decrease in maximum air temperature from the forest patch edge to a depth of 80 m. Within-patch air-temperature values were significantly different (α = 0.01) among transects (c.v. = 13.28) and for all measurement locations (c.v. = 30.58). Results from the first experiment showed that the interior treatment underestimated carbon storage by ～8000 Mg C and the exterior treatment overestimated carbon storage by 30,000 Mg C within Dundee Township, Southeastern Michigan, when compared to a treatment that included within-patch heterogeneity. In the second experiment we found a logarithmic increase in carbon storage with increasing fragmentation (r² = 0.91). While a number of other processes (e.g. altered disturbance frequency or severity) remain to be included in future experiments, this combined field and modelling study clearly demonstrated that the inclusion of within-patch and landscape heterogeneity, and landscape fragmentation, each have a strong effect on forest carbon cycling and storage as simulated by a widely used ecosystem process model.     

Population growth versus population spread of an ant-dispersed neotropical herb with a mixed reproductive strategy

In plants that produce seeds with contrasting genetic background (selfed versus outcrossed), the question arises whether the ecological function of the two types of progeny differ. This paper addresses this issue for the ant-dispersed Calathea micans by introducing a novel application of the Neubert–Caswell model for analysis of wave speed for structured populations. Because dispersal as well as vital rates are structured, the model allows for distinct dispersal kernels for different types of progeny and thus permits comparisons of the sensitivity to changes in demographic and dispersal parameters of in situ population growth rate versus population spread across space. The study site was a lowland, evergreen tropical rain forest at La Selva Biological station, Costa Rica, where the species is commonly found throughout the forest. In C. micans, seeds produced by open flowers (potentially outcrossed) or by closed flowers (selfed) bear oily arils and are dispersed by ants. Five life-history stages were used to characterize the population: seedlings originating from seeds produced by open flowers, seedlings originating from seeds produced by closed flowers, juvenile vegetative plants, reproductive plants without new shoots and reproductive plants with new shoots. Demography varied seasonally. Transitions were estimated from marking and following the fate of plants (N = 400) in a natural population over a dry and a wet season. The population dynamics was described by a 10 × 10 matrix, with five life-history stages and two habitat states. The habitat states cycle repeatedly, dry–wet–dry–wet. To estimate dispersal kernels for each seed type, individual seeds (N = 225 and 306 seeds produced by open and closed flowers, respectively) were color-coded and placed in depots, allowing the ants to redistribute them. Five months later, seedlings with an attached seed coat bearing the intact color-coding, were surveyed around the depots. Radial distances and angles were recorded for each seedling (N = 67 and 81 seedlings arising from open and closed flowers, respectively). The results of the model give an asymptotic growth rate of 1.06 per season and an asymptotic rate of spread of 8.36 cm per season. There is a high correlation (r = 0.99) between elasticity of growth rate and elasticity of rate of spread of the population. Both rates are most sensitive to changes in stasis of juveniles during the dry season. However, most interesting is the analysis that revealed that population spread is more sensitive than in situ population growth to demographic rates of seedlings arising from open flowers. The analysis suggests a new way of thinking about ecological functions of multiple modes of reproduction.     

Catastrophic-like shifts in shallow Turkish lakes: a modeling approach

A generalized logistic model (GLM) was developed to determine occurrence of submerged macrophytes in shallow Lake Eymir, and the model was tested independently on the upstream shallow Lake Mogan using the data collected fortnightly from both lakes during 1997–2002. The independent variables included concentrations of chlorophyll-a (chl-a), suspended solids (SS) and total phosphorus (TP), Secchi disc transparency and z-scores of water levels. The dependent variable was the binary index of submerged plant occurrence. We used bootstrapping to determine the maximum number of epochs to train the model and to execute training when the corrected average cross entropy (c-index) leveled off. The model predicted that SS concentration, z-scores of water levels and TP concentration were the most important variables for determining occurrence of submerged plants. Sensitivity analyses showed that the probability of submerged plant occurrence followed a strong hysterisis response to varying water levels and the concentrations of SS and TP, with the break points being ±50 cm, 12–17 mg l⁻¹ and 200–300 μg l⁻¹, respectively. This observed sensitivity was in accordance with the alternative stable states hypothesis of shallow lakes. For occurrence of submerged plants, chlorophyll-a concentration and Secchi disc transparency had low significance. This was in concert with both relevances of input variables and the field results. The model gave a good definition of the system since the c-index and corrected c-index on the training data were high (0.970 and 0.963, respectively). Testing the model on Lake Mogan produced a c-index of 0.815 with around 80% of the cases being correctly classified. This showed that the model had a high ability to generalize over a spatially independent test set; therefore, it had a great reliability as well. In addition, the predictive power of the model was indeed very high. Consequently, the model captured the relationships between the input and output variables successfully and consistently with alternative stable states hypothesis.     

Modeling and coupling of soil respiration and soil water content in fenced Leymus chinensis steppe,Inner Mongolia

Soil respiration was measured with the enclosed chamber method during 2 years in fenced Leymus chinensis steppe, Inner Mongolia, China. Soil water content at 0–10 cm depth was a major limited factor of soil respiration in semi-arid grassland, accounting for 76.4% of the variation. The temperature-dependent exponential function could only explain 38.7% of the variation in soil respiration. With 246 data over the entire experimental period, multiple linear stepwise regressions of soil respiration rate were analyzed with the influencing factors, including soil water content at 0–10 cm depth, air temperature, air pressure, air humidity, total radiation and their interactions. With soil water content at 0–10 cm depth (W) and air temperature (T_h) as combined factors, the twice linear regression (F = 1.68WT_h − 109.09) was simple and its coefficients were significant, accounting for 83.1% of the variation in soil respiration. Due to the lack of long-term and continuous soil water content, a water sub-model based on precipitation and evapotranspiration was introduced, which could provide better fits with the measured values (R² = 0.813). The magnitudes of soil respiration calculated from the twice linear regression equation and water sub-model were 439.58 and 463.06 g CO₂ m⁻² in 2001 (19 June–23 September) and in 2002 (1 June–24 September), respectively. The mean hourly soil respiration rates were in the range of the previous studies in the adjacent region and the world's major temperate grasslands.     

Utilizing satellite imagery and GLOBE student data to model soil dynamics

General Purpose Atmosphere Plant Soil Simulator (GAPS), a menu-driven soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) model, was used to simulate soil water dynamics from 1998 through 2001 for Greenville, PA, USA. GLOBE student data collected by students from Reynolds Junior and Senior High School, coupled with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data derived from SPOT4 vegetation imagery, were used to parameterize and validate the model. Data from the National Weather Service Cooperative (NWSC) was used to evaluate the GLOBE dataset. Overall, there was a high index of agreement (d > 0.80) between field measurements and simulated soil water values from both datasets (GLOBE and NWSC). Simulations using the GLOBE climate data outperformed the NWSC data for the 1999, 2000, and 2001 growing seasons. In addition, the GLOBE simulations showed that NDVI could be utilized to predict transpiration periods (QI, QII, and QIII) for northern latitudes >35° with a distinct winter period. In phenological terms, QI reflects the onset of the growing season when vegetation is greening up (NDVI < 0.60) and transpiration is beginning (<2 mm/day) and QII reflects the end of the growing seasons when vegetation is greening down and transpiration is decreasing. QIII reflects the height of the growing season when transpiration rates average between 2 and 5 mm per day and NDVI is at its maximum (>0.60). Results of this study demonstrate that GLOBE student data, coupled with remotely sensed data, can provide an important source of input and validation information for capacitance SVAT models such as GAPS.     

Perceptions of small-scale fishermen on the value of marine resources and protected areas: case of Claveria,Northern Philippines

Establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) helps to restore and sustain marine and fishery resources, but in the Philippines only 20% of total MPAs are achieving their management objectives. We conducted a case study of a small MPA in Northern Philippines to understand socio-economic status and livelihoods of the fishermen stakeholders, and examine their attitudes and perceptions on marine resource values and conservation. Using an ordered probit model, we also investigated factors affecting these perceptions. We found a lower fish income ratio in higher income quartiles, a small share of local non-fishery income, and an apparent lack of other livelihood opportunities within the rural economy. The majority of fishermen had positive perceptions of the non-market value of marine resources, agreed with the need for MPAs, and perceived positive potential income benefit from MPAs. Level of education and fishing income were consistent significant positive determinants of these perceptions. Policy implications suggest: involving likely-to-be-displaced reef fishers in the crafting of management plans; conducting intensive research on appropriate and feasible livelihood options, for example, marine culture technologies; and designing explicit strategies to increase the propensity of coastal households to invest in children's education as a strategy for long-term sustainability of resource management.     

A peaked function for modeling temperature dependence of plant productivity

We suggests that temperature response of plant productivity can be modeled by the Arrhenius function modified to describe the effect of temperature on enzyme activity: G_A(T) = 2f(T)/(1 + f²(T)), where f(T) = exp(E_a/RT_opt − E_a/RT), R the universal gas constant, E_a the activation energy and T_opt is the optimal temperature. In common with other functions used for modeling the temperature response of plant productivity, the curve of function G is almost symmetrical and bell-shaped. The special convenience of G_A is that it relates the width of the “bell” to thermodynamic concepts, such as activation energy of chemical reactions converting carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates.     

Quantifying spatial structure of volumetric neutral models

Neutral models in landscape ecology that have been used as a framework to analyze actual landscapes have been largely planar. However, the natural world is greater than two dimensions; hence, many ecological structures, e.g., forest canopies or coral reefs, are better represented by topographies or tomographies. Because pattern and process or structure and function are intertwined, it becomes necessary to develop methods to quantify these complex architectures. With the advent of remote sensing technologies such as lidars and sonars, that permit structural mapping of some of these systems, volumetric data are becoming more prevalent. In this study, we developed a suite of binary voxel-based neutral models that possessed random, anisotropic, and hierarchical properties. We then evaluated the extent to which fractal-derived measurements, i.e., lacunarity, the simple fractal dimension, and multifractal spectra, were able to discern among the constructed model types at two different densities (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05). Multifractal analysis, where spectra were defined by three parameters, was shown to be the most sensitive to the differences among the neutral structures. Lacunarity, defined by a single parameter, was shown to be fairly useful in discerning the structures. The simple fractal dimension was found to have limited capability. To more fully assess the ability of these and additional pattern recognition methods, better representations of natural morphologies need to be developed and analyzed.     

Dynamics of surface albedo of a boreal forest and its simulation

Surface albedo determines the distribution of solar radiation between the earth's surface and the atmosphere. It affects the global climate directly by altering surface energy balance, and indirectly by controlling ecosystem processes and greenhouse gas exchange. In this study, a land surface albedo model was constructed based on the gap probability approach for ray tracing and the basic optical parameters of ecosystem elements. The model was applied to a boreal deciduous forest and results were compared with field measurements. Results show that seasonal and diurnal albedo dynamics were well simulated by the model. The standard deviation between the simulated and measured reflected radiation was 2.5–5.0 W m⁻² in different seasons. The model also provided an insight into the relationships between surface albedo and radiation components (direct versus diffuse), solar zenith angle, and different wave bands. Model sensitivity analyses show that the surface albedo in winter is very sensitive to the forest wood area index for this boreal aspen forest, suggesting that accurate estimates of wood area index are necessary to improve the accuracy of surface albedo simulation in leafless seasons.