Wang, B., McCormack, M. L., Ricciuto, D. M., Yang, X., & Iversen, C. M. (2023). Embracing fine‐root system complexity in terrestrial ecosystem modelling. Global Change Biology.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16659
As accelerated empirical advances in the last two decades establish clearly functional differentiation conferred by the hierarchical structure of fine-root orders and associations with mycorrhizal fungi, a need emerges to embrace this complexity to bridge the data-model gap in still extremely uncertain models. Here, we propose a 3-pool structure comprising Transport and Absorptive fine roots with Mycorrhizal fungi (TAM) to model vertically resolved fine-root systems across organizational and spatial-temporal scales. Emerging from a conceptual shift away from arbitrary homogenization, TAM builds upon theoretical and empirical foundations as an effective and efficient approximation that balance realism and simplicity.
Proof-of-concept study making the case for TAM with the simple_ELM. NOTE: check out the branch rootcomplexity.
A series of Jupyter Notebooks written in Python but with source data accessible at 
A few figures around TAM.
Performed with UQTk (v3.0.2;https://github.com/sandialabs/UQTk) under Python(2.7.5), cmake(3.11.0), and gcc(6.3.0)
A PDF copy of the manuscript published in Global Change Biology.