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Oregon State University (OSU)

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MC1 is a widely used dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) that has been used to simulate potential vegetation shifts in California and Alaska, all of North America, and over the entire globe under various climate change scenarios. However, past simulations were run at a scale that is too coarse (e.g., 10km x 10km for the California simulations) for use by local resource managers, such as those in Yosemite National Park ( see Data Basin feature on Yosemite results ). More recently, the model has been implemented at a finer resolution (800m x 800m) of greater utility to National Park staff. MC1 is a model that simulates vegetation types, ecosystem fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water, as well as wildfire occurrence...
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The response of vegetation distribution, carbon, and fire to three scenarios of future climate change was simulated for California using the MC1 Dynamic General Vegetation Model. Under all three scenarios, Alpine/Subalpine Forest cover declined, and increases in the productivity of evergreen hardwoods led to the displacement of Evergreen Conifer Forest by Mixed Evergreen Forest. Grassland expanded, largely at the expense of Woodland and Shrubland, even under the cooler and less dry climate scenario where increased woody plant production was offset by increased wildfire. Increases in net primary productivity under the cooler and less dry scenario contributed to a simulated carbon sink of about 321 teragrams for California...
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