The assessment of a global marine ecosystem model on the basis of emergent properties and ecosystem function: a case study with ERSEM
Ecosystem models are often assessed using quantitative metrics of absolute ecosystem state, but these model–data comparisons are disproportionately vulnerable to discrepancies in the location of important circulation features. An alternative method is to demonstrate the models capacity to represent...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-01-01
|
Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
Online Access: | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/59/2016/gmd-9-59-2016.pdf |
Summary: | Ecosystem models are often assessed using quantitative metrics of
absolute ecosystem state, but these model–data comparisons are
disproportionately vulnerable to discrepancies in the location of
important circulation features. An alternative method is to
demonstrate the models capacity to represent ecosystem function; the
emergence of a coherent natural relationship in a simulation
indicates that the model may have an appropriate representation of
the ecosystem functions that lead to the emergent relationship.
Furthermore, as emergent properties are large-scale properties of the
system, model validation with emergent properties is possible even
when there is very little or no appropriate data for the region under
study, or when the hydrodynamic component of the model differs
significantly from that observed in nature at the same location and
time.</p><p class="p">A selection of published meta-analyses are used to establish the
validity of a complex marine ecosystem model and to demonstrate the
power of validation with emergent properties. These relationships
include the phytoplankton community structure, the ratio of carbon to
chlorophyll in phytoplankton and particulate organic matter, the ratio
of particulate organic carbon to particulate organic nitrogen and the
stoichiometric balance of the ecosystem.</p><p class="p">These metrics can also inform aspects of the marine ecosystem model
not available from traditional quantitative and qualitative methods.
For instance, these emergent properties can be used to validate the
design decisions of the model, such as the range of phytoplankton
functional types and their behaviour, the stoichiometric flexibility
with regards to each nutrient, and the choice of fixed or variable
carbon to nitrogen ratios. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |