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CENTURY
Tutorial
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Supplement to CENTURY User's Manual
This document presents information about the monthly version of the CENTURY Model (Version 4.0). We will also present an overview about the status on the DAYCENT model which simulates plant-soil systems using a daily time step. The DAYCENT model is capable of simulating detailed daily soil water and temperature dynamics and trace gas fluxes (CH4, N2O, NOx and N2) which are not simulated in CENTURY Version 4.0. The CENTURY model is a generalized plant-soil ecosystem model that simulates plant production, soil carbon dynamics, soil nutrient dynamics, and soil water and temperature. The model has been used to simulate ecosystem dynamics for all of the major ecosystems in the world and has been used for the dominant cropland and agroecosystems. The model results have been compared to observed plant production, soil carbon, and soil nutrient data for the most common global natural and managed ecosystems. The model has been used to simulate the response of these ecosystems to changes in environmental driving variables (i.e. maximum and minimum air temperature, precipitation and atmospheric CO2 levels) and changes in the management practices (grazing intensity, forest clearing practices, burning frequency, fertilizer rates, crop cultivation practices, etc.) for grasslands, crop, forest and savanna ecosystems. Appendix 1 includes the list of papers in which the CENTURY model has been used to simulate ecosystem dynamics for different ecosystems. We have provided copies of four of the papers that describe the theoretical basis for the CENTURY model and examples where the model was used to simulate the ecosystem dynamics and compared with observed field data. This document will describe 1) the theoretical basis and overall structure of the model, 2) the procedures used to set up and run the model for a specific site, and 3) the process used to adjust model parameters for best fit representation of site specific ecosystem dynamics.
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