Work Package 10 - Improving IAM-ESM land use representation

In this work package (WP), we aim to improve the representation of land-based mitigation options in the land surface models (LSMs) used in Earth system models. We will focus on agricultural practices (bioenergy crop yields, harvesting, fertilizer, irrigation) and afforestation, reforestation and forest management approaches. We will use the improved LSMs to study the biogeochemical and biophysical climate impacts of the land management practices, and their implications for the effectiveness of land-based climate mitigation strategies. These developments will strengthen the linkages between integrated assessment models and Earth system models, enabling comprehensive assessments of biogeochemical and biophysical effects of future mitigation scenarios.

Our objectives are: 1) to improve the ability of land surface models to simulate potentials for climate mitigation through targeted land-management practices; 2) to deliver improved land management schemes to the project Earth system models. This will enable new couplings and feedbacks to be explored and will pave the way for a robust analysis of potential land-based mitigation options for realizing the Paris Agreement; 3) to inform calibration of a reduced complexity climate model (MAGICC) through sensitivity experiments focused on land carbon fluxes responses to land-use change and land management; and 4) to incorporate new knowledge on the role of local climate and environmental constraints (e.g. nutrients, water) on land productivity and the effectiveness of land management measures into the REMIND-MagPIE integrated assessment model.

Institutions involved: Our WP focuses on improvements of four land surface models. The models (and their host ESMs) are 1) ICON (JSBACH): MPG-LMU, 2) IPSL-CM (ORCHIDEE): CNRS, 3) NorESM (FATES): CICERO, MetNo, and 4) JULES (UKESM): UK Met Office, University of Exeter. We also work with the REMIND-MagPIE IAM (PIK).