Coupled modeling of the hydrological and carbon cycles in the soil–vegetation–atmosphere system

A coupled model of the hydrological and carbon cycles in the soil–vegetation–atmosphere system is suggested. The model describes the interception and evaporation of precipitation by canopy, transpiration, vertical transfer of soil moisture, photosynthesis, the interaction between transpiration and photosynthesis, and plant and soil respiration. The validation of this model was carried out using the FIFE measurements from a grassland site in Kansas, the BOREAS measurements from a jack pine forest site in Saskatchewan, and the observations conducted within a deciduous forest in the southeastern United States. The model results show a good agreement with experimental data. The model was shown to adequately describe the influence of soil moisture and atmospheric CO2 concentration on transpiration and net ecosystem CO2 exchange.