Model simulated potential natural vegetation state in the western US under preindustrial, historic, and future (RCP8.5) atmospheric conditions using multiple parameterizations of the dynamic vegetation model TRIFFID.

DATA DESCRIPTION
Author contact information:
Linnia R. Hawkins
Oregon State University
lhawkins@oregonstate.edu; linnia.hawkins@gmail.com
Data supporting 2019 Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems publication

Simulations of the equilibrium vegetation distribution in the western US performed with the climate model HadAM3p-HadRM3p-MOSES2-TRIFFID

step1: Identify Influential Parameters
All files labeled step1.
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION: Data used in step 1: identify influential parameters    
sensitivity experiment adjusting one parameter at a time 38 individual parameters were adjusted to 7 values, equally spaced
over a defined plausible range. For reference nine simulations with the default model parameterization are included, initiated with unique initial potential temperature perturbations. 

The data contains the vegetation state variables at the end of four-year simulations (January 2004 to December 2007) during which two equilibrium time steps with the dynamic vegetation model TRIFFID (Cox et al., 2001). The results are averaged over three simulations initiated with unique atmospheric potential temperature perturbations.

FILE DESCRIPTION:
NETCDF: Each netcdf file contains the fractional coverage (field1391), leaf area index (field1392), and the canopy height (field1393) for 5 plant functional types (PFTs: broadleaf, needleleaf, c3 grass, c4 grass, shrub) simulated for November 29, 2007. 

    File labeling scheme:   
        step1_parameter_settingindex_3ICave.nc

        parameter: the name of the only model parameter adjusted
        setting index: the index of the parameter setting (1-7)
            index of 1 references the lowest plausible parameter setting
            index of 7 references the highest plausible parameter setting
            index of 4 references the parameter setting half way between the lowest and highest plausible parameter settings. 
        3ICave: references that the results have been averaged over 3 initial conditions.

    Variables:
        field1391 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub] 
        field1392 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
        field1393 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
 

step2: ParameterSensitivity
all files labeled step2
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION:
Data used in step 2: parameter sensitivity 
Perturbed Parameter Experiment (PPE) simultaneously adjusting 18 parameters.
Latin hypercube sampling was employed to generate 250 unique parameterizations references with a SETID (ranging from 1-359)
The data provided contains the simulated vegetation state after 4 year simulations (December1903-November1907) with two TRIFFID equilibrium rounds. 
Data is averaged over 5 initial atmospheric conditions.

FILE DESCRIPTION:
NETCDF: files contain either the fractional coverage (field1391) or the above ground biomass (field1512) for 5 plant functional types (PFTs) simulated for November 1907.

    File labeling scheme:   
        step2_variable_parametersetindex_5ICave.nc

        variable: the name of the variable contained in the file
        setting index: the index of the parameter setting corresponding to the parameter set text files
        5ICave: references that the results have been averaged over 5 initial atmospheric conditions.

    Variables:
        field1391 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub] 
        field1512 – above ground biomass of PFT – units: kgC/m2 – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]

TXT: files contain a list of the model parameterizations (for each PFT and variable) and the corresponding to the parameter set index. 
    Parameters are labeled in row 1
    Parameter set indices are shown in column 1

RESTART: restart_region_TPPE_c374_1903-12-01.nc
    The restart file contains the model state variables after spinup. This file was used to initiate all model simulations in step2.

step3: ParameterSetSelection
All files labeled step3
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION:
Data used in step 3: parameter set selection
PPE simultaneously adjusting 10 parameters. 
Latin hypercube sampling was employed to generate 140 unique model parameterizations, referenced with a SETID (ranging from 3-276).
The data provided contains the simulated vegetation state after 4 year simulations (December1903-November1907) with two TRIFFID equilibrium rounds. 
Data is averaged over 5 initial atmospheric conditions.

FILE DESCRIPTION:
NETCDF: files contain either the biomass (field1512) fractional coverage (field1391) canopy height (field1393) for 5 plant functional types (PFTs) simulated for November 1907 or the net primary productivity (NPP; item3262_monthly_mean) for December 1903 through November 1907. 

    File labeling scheme:   
        step3_variable_parametersetindex_5ICave.nc

        variable: the name of the variable(s) contained in the file
        setting index: the index of the parameter setting corresponding to the parameter set text files
        5ICave: references that the results have been averaged over 5 initial atmospheric conditions.

    Variables:
        field1391 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub] 
        field1512 – above ground biomass of PFT – units: kgC/m2 – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
        field1393 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
        item3262_monthly_mean – Net primary productivity – units: (kgC/m2/sec) – all PFTs

TXT: files contain a list of the model parameterizations (for each PFT) and the corresponding to the parameter set index. 
    Parameters are labeled in row 1
    Parameter set indices are shown in column 1

production_runs
files labeled PI, historical, and future
EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION:
Data simulated in the production runs. Model spinup was performed under preindustrial conditions with 10 unique model parameterizations (pset0-pset9). The resulting vegetation distribution for each parameterization after spinup are included and labeled PIrestarts. These restarts were used to initiate (or restart) the simulations under historic and future (RCP8.5) climate conditions. Files labeled historic contains the simulated vegetation state after 5 year simulations (2004-09-01 to 2009-08-30) with one TRIFFID equilibrium round occurring at the end. Files labeled future contain the simulated vegetation state after 5 year simulations (2054-09-01 to 2059-08-30) with one TRIFFID equilibrium round occurring at the end. 

FILE DESCRIPTION:
NETCDF: files contain the fractional coverage (field1391), leaf area index (field1392), canopy height (field1393), and biomass(field1512) for 5 plant functional types (in the order broadleaf, needleleaf, C3 grass, C4 grass, shrub).

    File labeling scheme:
        pset* where * refers to the model parameterization 0-9
        files were simulated with the model parameterization *, initiated with a unique initial condition (perturbation to the potential temperature field). 

    Variables (PIrestart)
        field1391 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [broadleaf] 
        field1391_1 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [needleleaf]
        field1391_2 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [c3grass]
        field1391_3 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [c4grass]
        field1391_4 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [shrub]
        field1392 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [broadleaf]
        field1392_1 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [needleleaf]
        field1392_2 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [c3grass]
        field1392_3 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [c4grass]
        field1392_4 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [shrub]
        field1393 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [broadleaf]
        field1393_1 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [needleleaf]
        field1393_2 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [c3grass]
        field1393_3 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [c4grass]
        field1393_4 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [shrub]
        

    Variables (historic/future)
        field1391 – fractional coverage of PFT – units: fraction – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub] 
        field1392 – leaf area index of PFT – units: m2/m2 – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
        field1393 – canopy height of PFT – units: meters – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]
        field1512 – above ground biomass of PFT – units: kgC/m2 – [broadleaf; needleleaf; c3grass; c4grass; shrub]