© 2001 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Estimates of the distributions of forest ecosystem model inputs for deciduous forests of eastern North America
Philip J. Radtke (1), Thomas E. Burk (2) and Paul V. Bolstad (3)
1. Department of Forestry (0324), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA / 2. Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, 1530 Cleveland Ave N., St. Paul, MN 55108, USA / 3. Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, 1530 Cleveland Ave N., St. Paul, MN 55108, USA / Received August 18, 2000
Summary
Techniques for evaluating uncertainties in process-based, computer simulation models are evolving in response to the proliferation
of such models and the demand for their use in the management of forest ecosystems. Many evaluation techniques require precise
statements of the uncertainties associated with each model input. Statements of uncertainty are typically formulated as probability
density functions (pdfs). Here, pdfs are developed for 29 inputs of the process-based, forest ecosystem, computer simulation
model PnET-II, many of which are inputs to other well-known forest ecosystem models. The inputs considered describe vegetation
characteristics of forests typical of the Eastern Deciduous Forest biome of North America. Data were compiled largely from
published literature to estimate pdfs. The compiled distributions can be used to conduct various model evaluations including
uncertainty assessment, calibration, and sensitivity analysis.
Keywords:
Bayesian melding, BGC, big leaf model, calibration, model evaluation, PnET, process model, sensitivity analysis.
