This workshop will assess the adequacy of current knowledge for the development and validation of closed-system models of carbon, water, and nutrient cycles in temperate forest ecosystems. Closed system models are those that account for all of the mass fluxes into and out of a system. For the purposes of this proposal, ecosystems are considered to be forest stands. The cycles, either alone or in combination, will be examined. The format of the workshop will be a series of keynote papers to set the scene and provide up-to-date information. These will be followed by tightly structured discussion sessions aimed, first , at assessing the current state of knowledge about ecosystem function in terms of the processes and mechanisms related to mass fluxes, and, second, at evaluating the feasibility of developing closed-system models. If it is agreed that models can and should be developed, participants will be asked to outline their structure, level (in terms of processes and time steps), and input requirements. If it is considered that closed-system models are not yet feasible, there will be an analysis of the reasons and recommendations about the information needed to construct such models. The product of the meeting will be a series of papers, to be published in an international journal. These will include the keynote papers, a review paper derived from the discussion groups, case-study papers submitted by participants and papers on the closed-system models, based on the discussions and recommendations of the meeting. The workshop will involve some of the world experts in the area of forest biogeochemistry. Biogeochemical models are useful tools for assessing the effects of global climate change on biological systems. The products of this workshop will be timely and important.
