Parameter and climate data uncertainty as important as climate change
for future changes in boreal hydrology
Abstract
Soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET) are important components of
boreal forest hydrology that affect ecological processes and
land-atmosphere feedbacks. Future trends in soil moisture in particular
are uncertain, therefore accurate modeling of these fluxes and
understanding of concomitant sources of uncertainty are critical. Here,
we conduct a global sensitivity analysis, Monte Carlo parameterization,
and analysis of parameter uncertainty and its contributions to future
soil moisture and ET uncertainty using a physically-based ecohydrologic
model in multiple boreal forest types. Soil and plant hydraulic
parameters and LAI have the largest effects on summer soil moisture at
two contrasting sites. We report best estimates and uncertainty of these
parameters via a multi-site Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty
Estimation approach. In future scenario simulations, parameter and
global climate model (GCM) choice influence projected changes in soil
moisture and evapotranspiration as much as the projected effects of
climate change in a late-century, high-emissions scenario, though the
relative effect of parameters, GCM, and climate vary between objective
and study site. Saturated water content, as well as the sensitivity of
stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit, have the most
statistically significant effects on change in evapotranspiration and
soil moisture, though there is considerable variability between sites
and GCMs. In concert, the results of this study provide estimates of:
(1) parameter importance and statistical significance for soil moisture
modeling, (2) parameter values for physically-based
soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer models in multiple boreal forest
types, and (3) the contributions of uncertainty in these parameters to
soil moisture and evapotranspiration uncertainty in future climates.