Estimating leaf-level parameters for ecosystem process models: A study in mixed conifer canopies on complex terrain

Abstract

Ecosystem process models are often used to predict carbon flux on a landscape or on a global scale. Such models must be aggregate and canopies are often treated as a uniform unit of foliage. Parameters that are known to vary within the canopy, e.g., nitrogen content and leaf mass per area, are often estimated by a mean value for the canopy. Estimating appropriate means is complicated, especially in mixed-species stands and in complex terrain. We analyzed sources of variation in specific parameters with the goal of testing various simplifying assumptions. The measurements came from mixed-species forests in the northern Rocky Mountains. We found that, for three important parameters (nitrogen c..