PI: J.F. Reynolds and L. F. Pitelka Institution: Duke University Proposal Number: DEB - 9812440 There exist two generally broad categories of forest-growth models: gap models which deal with long-term population dynamics of vegetation structure and stand models, which deal with short- to medium-term physiological processes such as gas fluxes and plant growth. A fundamental question regarding these models is how much physiology from stand models needs to be incorporated into gap models to effectively simulate long-term vegetation responses to global change. A workshop would be help to evaluate this question. It would assemble a range of investigators with experience on both types of models and employ strategies that combine model comparisons and model assessments. The workshop will ensure that forest growth models are developed that are effective in evaluating projected changes in global climate and in elevated carbon dioxide concentrations. This will improve the utility of forest-growth models in developing important management decisions.
