Biome-BGC uses a list of parameters to differentiate biomes on the basis of their ecophysiological characteristics. There are a total of 43 such parameters that must be specified for each model simulation. Most of the required parameters can be measured in the field, or can be derived from other measurements. For implementation at a particular site, any relavant measurements should be used to set the model ecophysiological constants.
In many cases, especially for applications over large regions, there are few if any site-specific measurements. We are frequently forced to infer the ecophysiological characteristics from a description of the dominant vegetation types. We have performed extensive literature surveys to find measured values for the required parameters, grouping vegetation types by broad functional/structural characteristics. Our grouping decisions are constrained by both the availability of consistent vegetation descriptions at the global scale and the statistical differences in average parameter values between vegetation classes.
Select a vegetation type from the list below to see the default ecophysiological parameters for that type. The parameter list for each vegetation type has three columns: parameter value, parameter units, and a short text description. There is also a detailed text description of all the parameters, describing dependencies between parameters where they exist.
We do not have default parameters for all conceivable vegetation types, and in fact some types with broad spatial representation are missing (e.g. deciduous shrubs, tropical deciduous broadleaf forest). We are hoping to address some of these omissions in the near future, and if you happen to have data you'd be willing to share in this regard, please see the contact information at the bottom of this page.