Stomatal optimization based on xylem hydraulics (SOX) improves land surface model simulation of vegetation responses to climate.

ABSTRACT: Land surface models (LSMs) typically use empirical functions to represent vegetation responses to soil drought. These functions largely neglect recent advances in plant ecophysiology that link xylem hydraulic functioning with stomatal responses to climate. We developed an analytical stomatal optimization model based on xylem hydraulics (SOX) to predict plant responses to drought. Coupling SOX to the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) LSM, we conducted a global evaluation of SOX against leaf- and ecosystem-level observations. SOX simulates leaf stomatal conductance responses to climate for woody plants more accurately and parsimoniously than the existing JULES stomatal conductance model. An ecosystem-level evaluation at 70 eddy flux sites shows that SOX decreases the sensitivity of

SUBMITTER: Eller CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7318565 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature