On the Ecology of Mountainous Forests in a Changing Climate: A ...
On the Ecology of Mountainous Forests in a Changing Climate: A ...
On the Ecology of Mountainous Forests in a Changing Climate: A ...
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Model applications 169<br />
scenario chosen. However, <strong>the</strong> exact species composition simulated by FORCLIM-E/P at<br />
<strong>the</strong>se sites and under climatic change depends strongly on <strong>the</strong> scenario used. <strong>On</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
hand, sites at mid altitudes show smaller and more uniform changes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir species composition<br />
across <strong>the</strong> various climate scenarios.<br />
Second, similar effects are visible when evaluat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> response <strong>of</strong> various forest models<br />
to one specific scenario <strong>of</strong> climatic change: The species composition simulated close to<br />
<strong>the</strong> alp<strong>in</strong>e timberl<strong>in</strong>e varies considerably depend<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> forest model used, i.e. on <strong>the</strong><br />
number <strong>of</strong> factors <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong> a model and <strong>the</strong>ir formulation. It is surmised that <strong>the</strong><br />
same is valid also for sites close to <strong>the</strong> dry timberl<strong>in</strong>e, but this was not <strong>in</strong>vestigated <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
present study. Sites at mid altitudes appear to be less sensitive to <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest<br />
model.<br />
Third, <strong>the</strong> uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> regionalized scenario <strong>of</strong> climatic change leads to a<br />
wide array <strong>of</strong> possible future forest compositions. Thus, even if one climate scenario<br />
could be identified as <strong>the</strong> “best estimate”, its uncerta<strong>in</strong>ty would preclude precise statements<br />
about future forest composition and aboveground carbon storage, especially at<br />
subalp<strong>in</strong>e sites.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>the</strong> comparison <strong>of</strong> step, l<strong>in</strong>ear (ramp), and sigmoid climatic changes dur<strong>in</strong>g 100<br />
years show that <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> transient scenario is not important because <strong>the</strong> change <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> abiotic conditions proceeds fast compared to <strong>the</strong> successional dynamics. However, if<br />
climatic change cont<strong>in</strong>ues for several centuries, i.e. when <strong>the</strong> time scale <strong>of</strong> climatic<br />
change approaches <strong>the</strong> time scale <strong>of</strong> forest succession (Bugmann & Fischl<strong>in</strong> 1994), <strong>the</strong><br />
differences between <strong>the</strong> various scenarios <strong>of</strong> transient climatic change certa<strong>in</strong>ly would be<br />
more pronounced; as mentioned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>troduction to this section, <strong>the</strong>re is no evidence<br />
that climatic change would come to a halt by <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> next century. Moreover, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs may not hold for changes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> variance <strong>of</strong> climatic parameters, which have not<br />
been <strong>in</strong>vestigated here.