Coupled modeling of the interplay between dynamic vegetation and integrated hydrology in the coastal environment.

Abstract:

The near-surface environment from the top of the vegetation canopy down to the lower limits of groundwater

recently has been identified as a distinct evolving region driven by coupled interactions between complex

biogeochemical and physical processes. Most existing models are missing crucial feedbacks between vegetation and integrated hydrology(subsurface and overland flows) processes.

We developed a novel fully coupled model of vegetation-land-water interactions suitable for HPC architectures

and performed extensive studies to capture the interactions and nonlinear feedbacks of physical processes. The major components of the coupled model are the advanced terrestrial simulator AMANZI-ATS and the next-generation dynamic vegetation model FATES. In the coastal environment additional physical processes, such as a sea-water intrusion, play a significant role in the interactions between hydrology and vegetations. To model these processes we apply the most recent capabilities of AMANZI-ATS and FATES related to salt distribution and its effect on vegetation dynamics. We demonstrate the use of the coupled model for simulation of biomass evolution along transects in the Delaware Bay and its feedbacks on sea-water inundation.

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