Review of Docs 2.29. Dynamic Global Vegetation and FATES#4037
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adrifoster wants to merge 2 commits into
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Review of Docs 2.29. Dynamic Global Vegetation and FATES#4037adrifoster wants to merge 2 commits into
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May 20, 2026 14:57
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samsrabin
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wwieder
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May 22, 2026
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I might encourage a few more citations of more recent FATES papers and a quick summary of how CLM-FATES is different than vanilla CLM could be helpful, but otherwise this looks good. I'll approve this but happy to take another look if needed.
| - Deprecation of the dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM): The CLM5.0 model contains the legacy 'CNDV' code, which runs the CLM biogeochemistry model in combination with the LPJ-derived dynamics vegetation model introduced in CLM3. While this capacity has not technically been removed from the model, the DGVM has not been tested in the development of CLM5 and is no longer scientifically supported. | ||
| - Deprecation of the dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM): The current CLM model version contains the legacy 'CNDV' code, which runs the CLM biogeochemistry model in combination with the LPJ-derived dynamics vegetation model introduced in CLM3. While this capacity has not technically been removed from the model, the DGVM has not been tested in the development of CLM6 and is no longer scientifically supported. | ||
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| - Introduction of FATES: The Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) is the actively developed DGVM for the CLM5. |
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I suggest this text would be:
- moved up to the top bullet point for this list
- include language about scientifically supported SP and noComp settings
- remove reference to CLM5
- remove DGVM?
| For more information about FATES, including a Users Guide and Technical Note, please see the `FATES documentation`_. | ||
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| .. _FATES documentation: https://fates-users-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html | ||
| For more information about FATES, including a Users Guide and Technical Note, please see the `FATES documentation <https://fates-users-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html>`_. |
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I'm not sure where they should go, but somewhere should we reference your OAAT paper or other more recent FATES papers?
| Scientifically Supported CLM-FATES Configurations | ||
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | ||
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| We currently scientifally support CLM-FATES run in `carbon-only mode <https://fates-users-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/PARTEH-Modes.html>`_, and with either SP or no-competition + fixed biogeography mode. |
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should we note that C-N capabilities are enable, but not scientifically supported in CLM6?
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Should the name of the chapter be changed to FATES?
| FATES was derived from the CLM Ecosystem Demography model (CLM(ED)), which was documented in: | ||
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| Fisher, R. A., Muszala, S., Verteinstein, M., Lawrence, P., Xu, C., McDowell, N. G., Knox, R. G., Koven, C., Holm, J., Rogers, B. M., Spessa, A., Lawrence, D., and Bonan, G.: Taking off the training wheels: the properties of a dynamic vegetation model without climate envelopes, CLM4.5(ED), Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 3593-3619, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3593-2015, 2015. | ||
| FATES was derived from the CLM Ecosystem Demography model (CLM(ED)), which was documented in :ref:`Fisher et al. (2015)<Fisheretal2015>`. |
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Maybe this is where we can add more recent references? See additional comment below?
| The Ecosystem Demography ('ED'), concept within FATES is derived from the work of :ref:`Moorcroft et al. (2001)<mc_2001>` and is a cohort model of vegetation competition and co-existence, allowing a representation of the biosphere which accounts for the division of the land surface into successional stages, and for competition for light between height structured cohorts of representative trees of various plant functional types. | ||
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| The implementation of the Ecosystem Demography concept within FATES links the surface flux and canopy physiology concepts in CLM with numerous additional developments necessary to accommodate the new model. These include a version of the SPITFIRE (Spread and InTensity of Fire) model of :ref:`Thonicke et al. (2010)<thonickeetal2010>`, and an adoption of the concept of `Perfect Plasticity Approximation` approach of :ref:`Purves et al. 2008<purves2008>`, :ref:`Lichstein et al. 2011<lichstein2011>` and :ref:`Weng et al. 2014<weng2014>`, in accounting for the spatial arrangement of crowns. Novel algorithms accounting for the fragmentation of coarse woody debris into chemical litter streams, for the physiological optimization of canopy thickness, for the accumulation of seeds in the seed bank, for multi-layer multi-PFT radiation transfer, for drought-deciduous and cold-deciduous phenology, for carbon storage allocation, and for tree mortality under carbon stress, are also included. | ||
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Would a quick plug for 'why use FATES' and a brief summary of how FATES is different than the big-leaf model be helpful?
Maybe inlcude a figure highlighting the 'time since disturbance' subgrid structure that FATES has (and how it's different than big-leaf)?
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Description of changes
Review of Tech Note section 2.29: Dynamic Global Vegetation and FATES
Specific notes
Added a section on reduced complexity modes and supported configurations.
Contributors other than yourself, if any: @wwieder
CTSM issues resolved or otherwise addressed, if any: Resolves #3875
Requirements before merge: