A second-generation trait-based dynamic vegetation model

• Applicant: Dr. Simon Scheiter
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 191153893

Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are the most powerful tool available to ecologists to explore the current and future distribution of vegetation and the global carbon cycle. However, one weakness of state of the art DGVMs is that they simulate a fixed number of plant functional types (PFT), where each PFT is defined by a static combination of traits. In reality PFTs represent spectra in a multi-dimensional trait space. Plant performance is limited by tradeoffs between traits, thus, optimizing a trait to exploit one resource implies a reduced capacity to exploit another resource. We propose to develop a second generation dynamic vegetation model that allows each individual plant to take on different trait values, constrained only by tradeoffs between traits. We will use genetic optimization algorithms to imitate the process of community assembly. That is, only individuals that are competitively successful become parents and the traits of the offspring are produced by recombining and mutating the traits of the parents. This process leads to the assembly of a plant community that is adapted to local site conditions. The proposed model will be based on the aDGVM, an individual-based dynamic vegetation model and on JSBACH, the land component of ECHAM5. The model will be parametrized using trait data bases and it will be used to explore current and future climate-vegetation interactions in savannas and associated ecosystems worldwide. We further aim to highlight the differences between modelling concepts used in state of the art DGVMs and the proposed model.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Steven Higgins