How Much Physiology is Needed in Forest Gap Models for Simulating Long-Term Vegetation Response to Global Change? Challenges, Limitations, and Potentials

Gap models were introduced over 30 years ago to examine the dynamics of forestvegetation structure and species composition based on plant populationdynamics. While there have been many advances, gap models remain heavilycriticized for their lack of attention to physiology, particularly as itaffects their ability to simulate forest response to elevated CO2concentration and climatic change. In this paper we provide a summary andsynthesis of the results from the Gap Model Comparison Workshop that was heldin July, 1999 at Pingree Park, Colorado (U.S.A.). We identify some grandchallenges for the future development of forest gap models and discusslimitations as well as potentials of this modeling approach.