Vegetation demographics in Earth System Models: A review of progress and priorities

Numerous current efforts seek to improve the representation of ecosystem ecology and vegetation demographic processes within Earth System Models (ESMs). These developments are widely viewed as an important step in developing greater realism in predictions of future ecosystem states and fluxes. Increased realism, however, leads to increased model complexity, with new features raising a suite of ecological questions that require empirical constraints. Here, we review the developments that permit the representation of plant demographics in ESMs, and identify issues raised by these developments that highlight important gaps in ecological understanding. These issues inevitably translate into uncertainty in model…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 1521238, DE-SC0012704
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: DE-SC0014363, DE‐SC0012704, SC0012704
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: DE-SC0012704, NNX14AH65G
• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Awards: 11‐JV‐112423‐059, 16‐JV‐11242306‐050
• FD
  Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

  Awards: 2015/07227‐6, 2015/, 2015/07227-6
• TE
  Tekniikan Edistämissäätiö

  Award: DE‐SC0014363
• OO
  Office of Science

  Awards: SC0012704, DE-SC0012704
• DO
  Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
• BA
  Biological and Environmental Research

  Awards: DE-SC0012704, DE-SC0014363
• BN
  Brookhaven National Laboratory

  Award: SC0012704