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Published on: June 30, 2020
[Design of dynamic simulation system for carbon cycle in forest ecosystem]
Jian-Gang Zhu1, Xin-Xiao Yu, Zhen-Ming Zhang
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation & Desertification Combating, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. jiangangzhu@126.com
Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao = the Journal of Applied Ecology
|February 9, 2010
Summary
A new Forest Carbon Simulation System (FORCASS) models forest ecosystem carbon cycles. This process-based system is feasible, comprehensible, and expandable for carbon dynamics research.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Forest ecosystems play a critical role in the global carbon cycle.
- Accurate modeling of forest carbon dynamics is essential for ecological research.
- Existing modeling techniques may lack comprehensiveness or flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and develop a new, general simulation system for modeling forest ecosystem carbon cycle dynamics.
- To create a feasible and comprehensible tool for analyzing carbon flows within forest ecosystems.
- To provide a flexible platform for future research on forest carbon cycling.
Main Methods:
- Developed the FORest CArbon Simulation System (FORCASS) within the Simulink environment.
- Divided forest ecosystem carbon storage into four compartments: vegetation, litter, soil, and animal.
- Utilized a process-based approach, incorporating the Richards growth function for vegetation biomass carbon storage to solve difference equations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the feasibility of the FORCASS simulation system through comprehensive analysis of its framework, design, and development.
- The system effectively models carbon flows between vegetation, litter, soil, and animal compartments.
- FORCASS can export key outputs like Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) across different stand ages.
Conclusions:
- The FORCASS system is a feasible, mechanistic, and comprehensible tool for modeling forest carbon cycle dynamics.
- Its process-based nature and ability to export productivity metrics make it valuable for ecological research.
- The system's explicit expansibility ensures its adaptability for future advancements in carbon cycle research.
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