%0 Research article
%T Application of the functional-structural tree model LIGNUM to growth simulation of short-rotation eastern cottonwood
%A Lu, Miaoer
%A Nygren, Pekka
%A Perttunen, Jari
%A Pallardy, Stephen G.
%A Larsen, David R.
%D 2011
%J Silva Fennica
%V 45
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.450
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/450
%X The functional-structural tree growth model LIGNUM was developed as a  general research tool that can be applied to several tree species. The  growth simulation of short-rotation eastern cottonwood (Populus  deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.) inherits the basic LIGNUM modeling concepts  including modular tree structure, L-system-based description of  structural development, and carbon budget. New developments of LIGNUM  model in this study were the incorporation of a biochemically-derived  photosynthesis submodel; nested time steps for simulating physiological  processes, structural development, and annual biomass production;  incorporation of field-measured weather data for modeling the response  of physiological processes to environmental variation; and application  of a Monte-Carlo voxel space submodel for simulating the stochasticity  of tree growth and improving computational efficiency. A specific  parameter system was applied for modeling P. deltoides growth in the  central Missouri, USA, environment. This adaptation of LIGNUM was  applied on modeling growth of P. deltoides in a short-rotation  agroforestry practice. The simulated height and biomass growth were  close to field observations. Visualization of simulation results closely  resembled the trees growing in an open site. The simulated response of  tree growth to variations in photon flux input was reasonable. The  LIGNUM model may be used as a complement to field studies on P.  deltoides in short-rotation forestry and agroforestry.