Assessing the Response of Forests to Environmental Variables using a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model:An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Forest ecosystems form an intricate nonlinear relationship with their surroundings. Therefore, the underlying processes are difficult to quantify. As a result, it makes the task quite challenging to evaluate the response of vegetation to their surrounding environment 1 . Predicting responses of vegetation dynamics requires a clear understanding of how different physiological and ecological processes are influenced by environmental drivers. A clear causality between the types and levels of stresses and corresponding responses of forests is necessary for making any rational inferences 2 . Significant progress in scientific understanding of plant–environment relationship, supplemented with the historical sequence of discoveries, is gradually improving the knowledge about the underlying functional relationship of plants with the environment. On the other hand, improved computational capabilities to handle multiple complex equations representing various functional relationships have made it possible to upscale the eco-physiological processes from an individual leaf to a global forest cover through computer-based programs, usually termed as a ‘Model’.