Ecological models of different transformation systems

Within the subproject B10 I will develop ecological models of the different transformation systems investigated (oil palm and rubber plantation, extensive rubber and secondary forest). These models should reproduce local vegetation dynamics in terms of biomass/carbon, water and nutrient dynamics as well as ecosystem structure.

We will use these models to investigate differences in ecological functions between these different transformation systems. Additionally we will analyse the effect of spatial arrangement of different land use types on ecological functions at the landscape scale.

Finally we will couple the ecological model with an agent-based (socio-economic) model, which operates at the household level and reflects the socio-economic drivers of land-use change. This coupled model can, for example, be used to investigate synergies and trade-offs between ecological and socio-economic functions and potential effects of different policy options. The parameterization of both the vegetation and the socio-economic models will require various types of data that will be collected within several projects of the CRC.