Researchers Propose New Ways to Model Forest Adaptation to Climate Change

Published June 12, 2008

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Models of forest dynamics could prove useful in predicting future climate, but large software companies will need to help create models with all the necessary variables, according to researchers.

Drew Purves, an ecologist and research scientist at Microsoft Research Cambridge in England, recently published a report with ecologist Stephen Pacala on dynamic global vegetation models. Such models look at how forests change in relation to increased atmospheric CO2 and land-use. They state that current models don't synch up and need to take into account biodiversity and competition for light to be more accurate.

Adding in such information will necessitate much more computing power, a task that can be accomplished with the help of large software companies, Purves told iTnews.

“These computational challenges are huge, and large software companies are one of the only places where we're going to find the knowledge and resources to address them,” he told the Australian business IT news site. "I think a company like Microsoft has a serious responsibility to help and be a leader in this area."

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Researchers Propose New Ways to Model Forest Adaptation to Climate Change

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