1. EALCO - a model for climate impact analysis of ecosystems
Earth Sciences Sector
Reducing Canada's vulnerability to climate change
Shusen Wang
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Natural Resources Canada
Yinsuo Zhang
Vladimir Korolevich
Richard Fernandes
Josef Cihlar

2. Outline
Introduction
Model Structure
Sample Results

3. National Regional Municipality Geo. & bio. C Paleo Climate
Social eco. cost
Glacial
Coastal
Permafrost
Ecosystems
Water resources
EO & atm. radiation
CCP

4. Ecosystem and Climate Ecosystem Climate Energy Cycle Nitrogen Carbon
Water
Ecosystem
Ecosystem consists of fundamental physical, physiological, biogeochemical processes.
Ecosystem processes are intrinsically dynamic and highly coupled with each other.
Climate
Climate Change
Climate Variability
Extreme Event
Local vs. Regional
Short term vs. Long term
etc.
Climate drives ecosystem.
Ecosystem feedbacks on climate.

5. Climate Impact Assessment
EALCO - Ecological Assimilation of Land and Climate Observations
Inputs
Outputs
Energy
Cycle
Nitrogen
Carbon
Water
EALCO
Satellite EO
Surface & Subsurface
Observations
Climate Model
Outputs/Reanalysis
GIS Database
Water Balance
Carbon Budget
Radiation and
Energy Budget
Nitrogen dynamics
Impact
Response
Sensitivity
Vulnerability
Feedback
Adaptation
Outcomes
Assessment

6. EALCO The Radiation module Gap probability based ray tracing approach.
Multi-canopy layers and multi-wavelength for solar radiation.
Separation of direct vs. diffuse components.
Long wave radiation calculated from canopy and ground surface temperatures obtained through their energy balance solutions.
Wang, S., et al., 2002, Eco. Mod., 155:
Wang, S. et al., 2004, Eco. Mod. (in review).
Wang, S. et al., 2003, IGARSS

7. The Energy Balance module
EALCO
Energy balance solution for canopy, soil, and snow, using surface temperatures as prognostic variables.
Canopy energy balance coupled with plant water balance and canopy C dynamics.
Multi-soil and snow layer identification for heat transfer and water/ice/snow phase change.
Wang, S., 2002, International J. Climatology 22:

8. The Water Balance module
EALCO
Dynamic canopy water balance solution using leaf water potential as the prognostic variable.
Climate and physiological control on evapotranspiration through nested iteration for energy balance and intercellular CO2 balance.
Multi-layer hydraulic conductance for soil and root (radial and axial).
Richardson equation for soil water simulation.
 method for ground surface evaporation.
Wang, S., et al., 2002, International J. Climatology 22:
Zhang, Y. and Wang, S., 2004, AGU 2004 Joint Assembly, Montreal, Canada.

9. The Carbon Balance module
EALCO
Farquhar model based C fixation.
Identification of sunlit and shaded leaves.
Identification of different plant compartments for organ growth, respiration, and litter production.
Identification of three C pools for litterfall and three C pools for soil organic matter.
Multi-soil layer heterotrophic respiration.
Wang, S., et al., 2002, Climatic Change 55:
Wang, S., et al., 2001, Eco. Mod., 142:

10. The Nitrogen Balance module
EALCO
Nitrogen balance among atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, and ecosystem leaching.
Plant and soil N content balanced by root N uptake and litterfall.
Dynamic root N uptake algorithms including both active and passive N transfers.
Corresponding plant and soil N pools to carbon pools.
Wang, S., et al., 2002, Climatic Change 55:
Wang, S., et al., 2001, Eco. Mod., 142:

11. The Water Transfer scheme
EALCO ra qa
leaf
s,3
Canopy
Soil layer 3
Soil layer 2
Atmosphere
Soil layer 1
s,2
s,1
rc,sunlit
rc,shaded
qsat(Tc) c
root
soil
rx,3
rx,1
rx,2 Cw
rr,3
rr,2
rr,1
r,3
rs,3
r,2
rs,2
r,1
rs,1

12. EALCO The Plant C and N scheme Photosynthesis Foliage Stem Fine Root
Substrate C
Structural
C N
Substrate N
CO2
Litter fall
Exudation
Resistance
N uptake
Heartwood

13. EALCO The soil C and N scheme Fertilizer CO2 C N litterfall Microbial
Slow
Humus
Extract.
Leaf, Stem
Root
PLANTC
Active
Lignin
Cellulose
Min. N
N uptake
Surface litter
Soil layer 1
Soil layer 2
N deposition
N Leaching

14. The Soil and Snow Thermal & Water scheme
EALCO LE H
Rsdn
Rldn
Rlup G
Runoff
Snow layers
Puddles LE H
Rsdn
Rldn
Rlup G G
Root uptake
Wflow
Soil layers
Drainage or capillary rise
Water table

15. Energy, Water, and CO2 processes around a leaf
EALCO
Sensible heat ra Tc Ta
H2O
CO2 ci ca ra rl RN
Leaf Interior
Boundary layer
Stomate ea ra rl
es(Tc)
CO2
ATP, NADPH
Light reactions
Dark reactions
H2O O2 C

16. The coupling scheme of Energy, Water, and CO2
EALCO
Iteration for c
Iteration for Tc
Iteration for Ci
CANOPY
CO2 balance
Energy balance
Water balance
Control Equations:
Canopy water balance
Canopy energy balance
Canopy CO2 balance

17. Sample Results - Response of Ci to CO2 concentration

18. Sample Results - 2XCO2 Impact on ET, GPP, and NPP

19. Site Application
- Energy, water and CO2 fluxes

20. Site Application - Snow depth

21. Site Application - Soil and snow temperatures

22. Site Application
- Annual C and H2O budgets for the boreal old aspen ecosystem
Year
Preci. mm ET
GPP
gC m-2
NPP
NEP
Meas. NEP
2000
484
316
1060
443
132
135
2001
235
1305
614
319
382
2002
287
338
954
417
155
148
ET – Evapotranspiration; GPP – Gross Primary Production; NPP – Net Primary Production;
NEP – Net Ecosystem Productivity; Meas. NEP – Measured NEP.

23. Regional Application - ET validation using water balance measurements
Churchill-falls sub-basin average ET observed:
260mm/year
(Courtesy of OURANOS Consortium)

24. National Application - Annual ET (1961-1990) at CWEEDS* stations
*CWEEDS - Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Data Sets

25. National Application
- Sample inputs

26. National Application
- Sample outputs
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