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TOWARD A RULE-BASED BIOME MODEL
Citation:
Neilson, R., G. King, AND G. Koerper. TOWARD A RULE-BASED BIOME MODEL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-91/179 (NTIS PB91226472).
Description:
Current projections of the response of the biosphere to global climatic change indicate as much as 50% to 90% spatial displacement of extratropical biomes. he mechanism of spatial shift could be dominated by either 1) competitive displacement of northern biomes by southern biomes, or 2) drought-induced dieback of areas susceptible to change. he current suite of global biosphere models cannot distinguish between these two processes, thus determining the need for a mechanistically based biome model. he model is in an early stage of development and will require several enhancements, including explicit simulation of potential evapotranspiration, extension to boreal and tropical biomes, a shift from steady-state to transient dynamics, and validation on other continents.