Challenges in Modeling Biosphere–Atmosphere Interactions

In a 1981 Technical Note, Bob Dickinson and his collaborators introduced Subroutine BNDRY for the NCAR General Circulation Model, with an emphasis on “properly describing the role of vegetation in modifying the surface moisture and energy budgets.” In the intervening four decades, the community has expanded on the Dickinson template and advanced the understanding, observations, and modeling of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. This talk presents a brief review of the progress, and outlines some challenges of observing and modeling the life cycle of vegetation.