Modelling environmental heterogeneity in forested landscapes

Integrated Drought Watch System: A Case Study in Southern Italy

“…This equation requires the estimate of the net radiation flux R n received by an inclined surface. The spatial distribution of this quantity is determined using a modified version of the model originally suggested by Moore et al (1993). The solar radiation model has been developed also including algorithms aimed at determining the short-wave radiation components taking into account effects of shading from direct sunlight by surrounding terrain at enclaved sites.…”

ASTROMOD: a computer program integrating vegetation dynamics modelling, environmental modelling and spatial data visualisation in Microsoft Excel

“…Significant progress has been made in the development of computer-based mathematical and computational techniques to model a number of climatological, hydrological, geomorphological and biological processes at various scales of analysis in terrestrial landscapes (Davis and Dozier, 1990;Quinn et al, 1991;Hutchinson et al, 1992;Band et al, 1993;Moore et al, 1993). The techniques developed allow the characterisation of environmental spatial variation with a precision and resolution previously unattainable, and have enormous potential application to the study and predictive modelling of ecological phenomena (Leibhold et al, 1993).…”

“…The techniques developed allow the characterisation of environmental spatial variation with a precision and resolution previously unattainable, and have enormous potential application to the study and predictive modelling of ecological phenomena (Leibhold et al, 1993). This is particularly the case in complex terrain where relatively small changes in slope, aspect and catchment area can markedly influence local variation in the environment (Moore et al, 1993;Wigmosta et al, 1994).…”

“…Water may become available when transferred from other areas by subsurface runoff or through upward capillary action (Moore et al, 1993). Some rain that falls evaporates immediately or runs off the soil surface and is never available to the trees.…”

The Role of Evapotranspiration in the Framework of Water Resource Management and Planning Under Shortage Conditions

“…In the model, potential evapotranspiration PET is estimated through the Priestley-Taylor method (Priestley & Taylor, 1972), requiring only temperature, air pressure and net radiation data, overcoming the lack of observed wind speed and air humidity data in the analyzed area before the year 2000. In the case of net radiation, monthly values were obtained starting from a modified version of the model originally suggested by Moore et al (1993). Actual evapotranspiration ET is calculated starting from PET and considering the Accumulated Potential Water Loss (APWL), such as suggested by Thornthwaite & Mather (1955), which represents the total amount of unsatisfied potential evapotranspiration to which the soil has been subjected.…”