RHESSys Pieces Coupling water, carbon, nutrients L. Band, C. Tague
Key processes incorporated in RHESSys Water, carbon, nutrient cycling in situ –interception, evaporation, transpiration, infiltration –photosynthesis, respiration, allocation, –decomposition, mineralization, N-cycling, plant uptake Lateral water redistribution –surface runoff –saturated throughflow Groundwater recharge/discharge
The watershed as an object hierarchy Land surface processes have characteristic scales and locations within the landscape –synoptic meteorological inputs: region –regional groundwater flow: aquifer system –stream routing: watershed –runoff production: hillslope –soil/canopy/atmosphere interactions: vegetation stand –saturated/unsaturated zone dynamics: pedon
Day-trans MT-CLIM Forest-BGC RESSys-89 W-DTM DHSVM routing GLOBAL-BGC BIOME-BGC RHESSys-96 CENTURY NGAS RHESSys-00 MODIS-BGC Evolution of the RHESSys paradigm
Infrastructure impacts on flowpaths
RHESSys Object Hierarchy
Full vs. Aspatial Distribution Approach
Patch
Conceptual Model
Hierarchical watershed structure
Pond Branch Catchment – Control Color Infrared Digital Orthophotography
Pond Branch Catchment – Control Topographic Index
Spatial Pattern of Soil Moisture
Spatial Pattern of N-export
High Summer Stream nitrate conc. for both model and stream sampling RHESSys Model Performance Corresponding with lower summer denitrification due to drying of the soil
Effects of Roads