Development and application of an individual-trait-based- simulator of Amazon forest dynamics

Project Information

INTRABASIS

Grant agreement ID: 236936

Closed project

Start date 1 September 2009

End date 31 August 2011

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 0,00

EU contribution € 173 568,66

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
United Kingdom

Objective

We propose to develop an individual-based simulator for Amazon forest dynamics, which will be highly constraint with existing field data covering the whole basin for the last twenty years. Findings from the RAINFOR forest plot network include an East-West gradient in turnover times across the basin and an above-ground biomass trend. The latter finding has important consequences for the global carbon budget and thus greenhouse gas forcing. Specifically based on the plant functional traits section of the database, we will use the observed trait distribution to generate continua which will define the economy of the primary resources available for growth, and control the performance and fitness of each individual. The floristic composition and dynamics part of the database will be used to parameterise and validate the performance of the model, across different soil and climate gradients. The simulator will subsequently be used to explore existing hypotheses regarding the mechanism driving the spatial and temporal variation of the Amazon rainforest. Ultimately besides hypothesis testing we will also use the simulator to explore sensitivity of the system to a changing climate.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › databases
• agricultural sciences › agricultural biotechnology › biomass

Keywords

• Carbon cycle (Climate change)
• Global change
• Phytogeography
• Plant physiology
• Tropical ecosystems

Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

• EU contribution: € 173 568,66
• Address: WOODHOUSE LANE ; LS2 9JT Leeds ; United Kingdom
• Region: Yorkshire and the Humber › West Yorkshire › Leeds
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Total cost: No data