Assimilation of satellite-derived land cover into a process-based terrestrial biosphere model

Besides so-called light use efficiency models (which, very generally, account for effects of temperature and water stress upon plant productivity), satellite-derived information may be applied to adjust Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs). This paper attempts to assimilate satellite-derived land cover (GLC2000) into a state-of-the-art DGVM (LPJ-DGVM) and examine the impact on estimated carbon stocks. The offset between land cover information and potential fractional vegetation cover is calculated by the model and then used to adjust plant productivity. Increasing the information content of current satellite-derived land cover products would lead to more reliable estimates of parameters of the terrestrial component of the global carbon cycle.