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Gatz-Miller HS, Gérard F, Su D, Mayer KU. Two-dimensional modeling of CO 2 mineral trapping through the oxalate‑carbonate pathway: Influence of the root system model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166280. [PMID: 37586515 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional reactive transport models, one with a simplified root system and the other accounting for dynamically evolving root architecture, were constructed to examine the influence of model complexity on capturing the effect of soil-root dynamics relating to the Oxalate Carbonate Pathway (OCP) of the Iroko tree over 170 years. Oxidation of oxalate from fallen tree tissue by soil bacteria enables local soil pH increase, leading to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon in carbonate minerals (calcite) in the shallow soil surrounding the tree. Simulations of both root models corroborate previous one-dimensional models of the OCP focused on Ca and C mass balance, where high weathering rates of Ca-containing silicate minerals in bedrock, along with contributions from groundwater, provided sufficient Ca for precipitation of observed quantities of calcite. Both simulations demonstrate the development of a distinct high pH zone where oxalate is oxidized, Ca accumulates, and calcite precipitates (OCP zone); and a low pH zone where roots collect Ca, later returned to the top soil as calcium oxalate (Total Root Extent/TRE zone) via litterfall. While the extent of OCP zone development near the ground surface was very similar between simulations, differences in localized root water uptake between the two approaches resulted in variation in water and solute transport and influenced the geometry of the OCP zone at depth, with implications for calcite precipitation in the soil. Trends in CO2 and O2 partial pressures in the OCP zone were mirrored in the TRE zone, suggesting linkage between the two zones with regard to gas transport. Near the end of the tree's lifespan, results indicate that soil permeability decreases due to calcite precipitation may limit O2 ingress and availability in the shallow soil, while trapping CO2 released from the oxidation of organics in the shallow soil, with implications for the long-term sustainability of the OCP itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S Gatz-Miller
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
| | - Frédéric Gérard
- INRAe-IRD-Institut Agro-CIRAD, University of Montpellier, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France
| | - Danyang Su
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
| | - K Ulrich Mayer
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Gong H, Song W, Wang J, Wang X, Ji Y, Zhang X, Gao J. Climate factors affect forest biomass allocation by altering soil nutrient availability and leaf traits. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:2292-2303. [PMID: 37470341 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Biomass in forests sequesters substantial amounts of carbon; although the contribution of aboveground biomass has been extensively studied, the contribution of belowground biomass remains understudied. Investigating the forest biomass allocation is crucial for understanding the impacts of global change on carbon allocation and cycling. Moreover, the question of how climate factors affect biomass allocation in natural and planted forests remains unresolved. Here, we addressed this question by collecting data from 384 planted forests and 541 natural forests in China. We evaluated the direct and indirect effects of climate factors on the belowground biomass proportion (BGBP). The average BGBP was 31.09% in natural forests and was significantly higher (38.75%) in planted forests. Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in BGBP with increasing temperature and precipitation. Climate factors, particularly those affecting soil factors, such as pH, strongly affected the BGBP in natural and planted forests. Based on our results, we propose that future studies should consider the effects of forest type (natural or planted) and soil factors on BGBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hede Gong
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Wenchen Song
- College of Life Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jiangfeng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, 830054, China
| | - Xianxian Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, 830054, China
| | - Yuhui Ji
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, 830054, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, 95616, California, USA
| | - Jie Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, 830054, China
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100091, China
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Zhang P, Huang J, Ma Y, Wang X, Kang M, Song Y. Crop/Plant Modeling Supports Plant Breeding: II. Guidance of Functional Plant Phenotyping for Trait Discovery. PLANT PHENOMICS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 5:0091. [PMID: 37780969 PMCID: PMC10538623 DOI: 10.34133/plantphenomics.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Observable morphological traits are widely employed in plant phenotyping for breeding use, which are often the external phenotypes driven by a chain of functional actions in plants. Identifying and phenotyping inherently functional traits for crop improvement toward high yields or adaptation to harsh environments remains a major challenge. Prediction of whole-plant performance in functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) is driven by plant growth algorithms based on organ scale wrapped up with micro-environments. In particular, the models are flexible for scaling down or up through specific functions at the organ nexus, allowing the prediction of crop system behaviors from the genome to the field. As such, by virtue of FSPMs, model parameters that determine organogenesis, development, biomass production, allocation, and morphogenesis from a molecular to the whole plant level can be profiled systematically and made readily available for phenotyping. FSPMs can provide rich functional traits representing biological regulatory mechanisms at various scales in a dynamic system, e.g., Rubisco carboxylation rate, mesophyll conductance, specific leaf nitrogen, radiation use efficiency, and source-sink ratio apart from morphological traits. High-throughput phenotyping such traits is also discussed, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to evolve FSPMs. This will accelerate the co-evolution of FSPMs and plant phenomics, and thus improving breeding efficiency. To expand the great promise of FSPMs in crop science, FSPMs still need more effort in multiscale, mechanistic, reproductive organ, and root system modeling. In summary, this study demonstrates that FSPMs are invaluable tools in guiding functional trait phenotyping at various scales and can thus provide abundant functional targets for phenotyping toward crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengpeng Zhang
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
| | - Jingyao Huang
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
| | - Yuntao Ma
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Xiujuan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Mengzhen Kang
- The State Key Laboratory for Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Youhong Song
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4350, Australia
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4350, Australia
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Li F, Hao D, Zhu Q, Yuan K, Braghiere RK, He L, Luo X, Wei S, Riley WJ, Zeng Y, Chen M. Vegetation clumping modulates global photosynthesis through adjusting canopy light environment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:731-746. [PMID: 36281563 PMCID: PMC10100496 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The spatial dispersion of photoelements within a vegetation canopy, quantified by the clumping index (CI), directly regulates the within-canopy light environment and photosynthesis rate, but is not commonly implemented in terrestrial biosphere models to estimate the ecosystem carbon cycle. A few global CI products have been developed recently with remote sensing measurements, making it possible to examine the global impacts of CI. This study deployed CI in the radiative transfer scheme of the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5) and used the revised CLM5 to quantitatively evaluate the extent to which CI can affect canopy absorbed radiation and gross primary production (GPP), and for the first time, considering the uncertainty and seasonal variation of CI with multiple remote sensing products. Compared to the results without considering the CI impact, the revised CLM5 estimated that sunlit canopy absorbed up to 9%-15% and 23%-34% less direct and diffuse radiation, respectively, while shaded canopy absorbed 3%-18% more diffuse radiation across different biome types. The CI impacts on canopy light conditions included changes in canopy light absorption, and sunlit-shaded leaf area fraction related to nitrogen distribution and thus the maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylase activity (Vcmax ), which together decreased photosynthesis in sunlit canopy by 5.9-7.2 PgC year-1 while enhanced photosynthesis by 6.9-8.2 PgC year-1 in shaded canopy. With higher light use efficiency of shaded leaves, shaded canopy increased photosynthesis compensated and exceeded the lost photosynthesis in sunlit canopy, resulting in 1.0 ± 0.12 PgC year-1 net increase in GPP. The uncertainty of GPP due to the different input CI datasets was much larger than that caused by CI seasonal variations, and was up to 50% of the magnitude of GPP interannual variations in the tropical regions. This study highlights the necessity of considering the impacts of CI and its uncertainty in terrestrial biosphere models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fa Li
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Dalei Hao
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change DivisionPacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWashingtonUSA
| | - Qing Zhu
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Climate Sciences DepartmentLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kunxiaojia Yuan
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Climate Sciences DepartmentLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Renato K. Braghiere
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Liming He
- Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth ObservationNatural Resources CanadaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Xiangzhong Luo
- Department of GeographyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Shanshan Wei
- Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and ProcessingNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - William J. Riley
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Climate Sciences DepartmentLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yelu Zeng
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
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Dubbert M, Couvreur V, Kübert A, Werner C. Plant water uptake modelling: added value of cross-disciplinary approaches. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2023; 25:32-42. [PMID: 36245305 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, research interest in plant water uptake strategies has rapidly increased in many disciplines, such as hydrology, plant ecology and ecophysiology. Quantitative modelling approaches to estimate plant water uptake and spatiotemporal dynamics have significantly advanced through different disciplines across scales. Despite this progress, major limitations, for example, predicting plant water uptake under drought or drought impact at large scales, remain. These are less attributed to limitations in process understanding, but rather to a lack of implementation of cross-disciplinary insights into plant water uptake model structure. The main goal of this review is to highlight how the four dominant model approaches, that is, Feddes approach, hydrodynamic approach, optimality and statistical approaches, can be and have been used to create interdisciplinary hybrid models enabling a holistic system understanding that, among other things, embeds plant water uptake plasticity into a broader conceptual view of soil-plant feedbacks of water, nutrient and carbon cycling, or reflects observed drought responses of plant-soil feedbacks and their dynamics under, that is, drought. Specifically, we provide examples of how integration of Bayesian and hydrodynamic approaches might overcome challenges in interpreting plant water uptake related to different travel and residence times of different plant water sources or trade-offs between root system optimization to forage for water and nutrients during different seasons and phenological stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dubbert
- Isotope Biogeochemistry and Gasfluxes, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
- Ecosystem Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - V Couvreur
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - A Kübert
- Ecosystem Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - C Werner
- Ecosystem Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Senger E, Osorio S, Olbricht K, Shaw P, Denoyes B, Davik J, Predieri S, Karhu S, Raubach S, Lippi N, Höfer M, Cockerton H, Pradal C, Kafkas E, Litthauer S, Amaya I, Usadel B, Mezzetti B. Towards smart and sustainable development of modern berry cultivars in Europe. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:1238-1251. [PMID: 35751152 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fresh berries are a popular and important component of the human diet. The demand for high-quality berries and sustainable production methods is increasing globally, challenging breeders to develop modern berry cultivars that fulfill all desired characteristics. Since 1994, research projects have characterized genetic resources, developed modern tools for high-throughput screening, and published data in publicly available repositories. However, the key findings of different disciplines are rarely linked together, and only a limited range of traits and genotypes has been investigated. The Horizon2020 project BreedingValue will address these challenges by studying a broader panel of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry genotypes in detail, in order to recover the lost genetic diversity that has limited the aroma and flavor intensity of recent cultivars. We will combine metabolic analysis with sensory panel tests and surveys to identify the key components of taste, flavor and aroma in berries across Europe, leading to a high-resolution map of quality requirements for future berry cultivars. Traits linked to berry yields and the effect of environmental stress will be investigated using modern image analysis methods and modeling. We will also use genetic analysis to determine the genetic basis of complex traits for the development and optimization of modern breeding technologies, such as molecular marker arrays, genomic selection and genome-wide association studies. Finally, the results, raw data and metadata will be made publicly available on the open platform Germinate in order to meet FAIR data principles and provide the basis for sustainable research in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Senger
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-4 Bioinformatics, BioSC, CEPLAS, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sonia Osorio
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora', Universidad de Málaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Paul Shaw
- Department of Information and Computational Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Scotland, UK
| | - Béatrice Denoyes
- Université de Bordeaux, UMR BFP, INRAE, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Jahn Davik
- Department of Molecular Plant Biology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | - Stefano Predieri
- Bio-Agrofood Department, Institute for Bioeconomy, IBE-CNR, Italian National Research Council, Bologna, Italy
| | - Saila Karhu
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Turku, Finland
| | - Sebastian Raubach
- Department of Information and Computational Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Scotland, UK
| | - Nico Lippi
- Bio-Agrofood Department, Institute for Bioeconomy, IBE-CNR, Italian National Research Council, Bologna, Italy
| | - Monika Höfer
- Institute of Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (JKI), Dresden, Germany
| | - Helen Cockerton
- Genetics, Genomics and Breeding Department, NIAB, East Malling, UK
| | - Christophe Pradal
- CIRAD and UMR AGAP Institute, Montpellier, France
- INRIA and LIRMM, University Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Ebru Kafkas
- Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Çukurova University, Balcalı, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - Iraida Amaya
- Unidad Asociada deI + D + i IFAPA-CSIC Biotecnología y Mejora en Fresa, Málaga, Spain
- Laboratorio de Genómica y Biotecnología, Centro IFAPA de Málaga, Instituto Andaluz de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera, Málaga, Spain
| | - Björn Usadel
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-4 Bioinformatics, BioSC, CEPLAS, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Biological Data Science, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bruno Mezzetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
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Braghiere RK, Fisher JB, Allen K, Brzostek E, Shi M, Yang X, Ricciuto DM, Fisher RA, Zhu Q, Phillips RP. Modeling Global Carbon Costs of Plant Nitrogen and Phosphorus Acquisition. JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS 2022; 14:e2022MS003204. [PMID: 36245670 PMCID: PMC9539603 DOI: 10.1029/2022ms003204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Most Earth system models (ESMs) do not explicitly represent the carbon (C) costs of plant nutrient acquisition, which leads to uncertainty in predictions of the current and future constraints to the land C sink. We integrate a plant productivity-optimizing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition model (fixation & uptake of nutrients, FUN) into the energy exascale Earth system (E3SM) land model (ELM). Global plant N and P uptake are dynamically simulated by ELM-FUN based on the C costs of nutrient acquisition from mycorrhizae, direct root uptake, retranslocation from senescing leaves, and biological N fixation. We benchmarked ELM-FUN with three classes of products: ILAMB, a remotely sensed nutrient limitation product, and CMIP6 models; we found significant improvements in C cycle variables, although the lack of more observed nutrient data prevents a comprehensive level of benchmarking. Overall, we found N and P co-limitation for 80% of land area, with the remaining 20% being either predominantly N or P limited. Globally, the new model predicts that plants invested 4.1 Pg C yr-1 to acquire 841.8 Tg N yr-1 and 48.1 Tg P yr-1 (1994-2005), leading to significant downregulation of global net primary production (NPP). Global NPP is reduced by 20% with C costs of N and 50% with C costs of NP. Modeled and observed nutrient limitation agreement increases when N and P are considered together (r 2 from 0.73 to 0.83).
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Affiliation(s)
- R. K. Braghiere
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
- Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and EngineeringUniversity of California Los AngelesLos AngelesCAUSA
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. B. Fisher
- Schmid College of Science and TechnologyChapman UniversityOrangeCAUSA
| | - K. Allen
- Manaaki Whenua—Landcare ResearchLincolnNew Zealand
| | - E. Brzostek
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWVUSA
| | - M. Shi
- Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | - X. Yang
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
| | - D. M. Ricciuto
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
| | - R. A. Fisher
- Center for International Climate ResearchOsloNorway
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité BiologiqueCNRS:UMRUniversité Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
| | - Q. Zhu
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences DivisionClimate Sciences DepartmentLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
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Louarn G, Song Y. Two decades of functional-structural plant modelling: now addressing fundamental questions in systems biology and predictive ecology. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:501-509. [PMID: 32725187 PMCID: PMC7489058 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) explore and integrate relationships between a plant's structure and processes that underlie its growth and development. In the last 20 years, scientists interested in functional-structural plant modelling have expanded greatly the range of topics covered and now handle dynamical models of growth and development occurring from the microscopic scale, and involving cell division in plant meristems, to the macroscopic scales of whole plants and plant communities. SCOPE The FSPM approach occupies a central position in plant science; it is at the crossroads of fundamental questions in systems biology and predictive ecology. This special issue of Annals of Botany features selected papers on critical areas covered by FSPMs and examples of comprehensive models that are used to solve theoretical and applied questions, ranging from developmental biology to plant phenotyping and management of plants for agronomic purposes. Altogether, they offer an opportunity to assess the progress, gaps and bottlenecks along the research path originally foreseen for FSPMs two decades ago. This review also allows discussion of current challenges of FSPMs regarding (1) integration of multidisciplinary knowledge, (2) methods for handling complex models, (3) standards to achieve interoperability and greater genericity and (4) understanding of plant functioning across scales. CONCLUSIONS This approach has demonstrated considerable progress, but has yet to reach its full potential in terms of integration and heuristic knowledge production. The research agenda of functional-structural plant modellers in the coming years should place a greater emphasis on explaining robust emergent patterns, and on the causes of possible deviation from it. Modelling such patterns could indeed fuel both generic integration across scales and transdisciplinary transfer. In particular, it could be beneficial to emergent fields of research such as model-assisted phenotyping and predictive ecology in managed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youhong Song
- Anhui Agricultural University, School of Agronomy, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China
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