The use of thermodynamics and optimality theory for modelling soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) processes at different scales

拟议的项目将研究使用最优性原则来更好地描述和预测调节土壤-植被-大气转移（SVAT）的结构性土壤和植被特性的空间格局和时间动态的影响。特别是，它将比较生物学原理（如最大净碳利润假设）与热力学原理（如最大熵产（MEP）假设）。该项目还将分析热、水和碳交换背景下的自由能量耗散、功和熵产生之间的关系，以将MEP原理的适用性与使用自由能进行生命系统的自我维护结合起来。作为实现这些目标的手段的一部分，将开发一个土壤-植被-大气转移（SVAT）模型，该模型(a)模拟一系列可观测和水文相关的植被特性，(b)与CAOS研究单元的整体模型集成，(c)允许计算系统的所有相关热力学特性，以及(d)优化不同的热力学和生物动机目标函数。在模型中有效地实施优化和热力学诊断将是模型和方法开发的主要部分。最后，将模型结果与一系列可用的观测结果进行比较，以测试提出的不同组织原则对水文预测的效用。

The proposed project will investigate the use of optimality principles to better describe and predict the effects of spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of the structural soil and vegetation properties that modulate soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT). In particular, it will compare biologically motivated principles (e.g. the maximum net carbon profit hypothesis) with thermodynamic principles (e.g. the maximum entropy production (MEP) hypothesis). The project will also analyse the relationship between free energy dissipation, work and entropy production in the context of heat, water and carbon exchange to put the applicability of the MEP principle into perspective with the use of free energy for self-maintenance of living systems.As part of the means to achieve these aims, a soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) model will be developed that (a) simulates a range of observable and hydrologically relevant vegetation properties, (b) integrates with the overall model of the CAOS research unit, (c) allows the calculation of all the relevant thermodynamic properties of the system and (d) optimises different thermodynamically and biologically motivated goal functions. An efficient implementation of optimisation and thermodynamic diagnosis in the model will be a major part of the model and methodology development.Finally, the model results will be compared with a range of available observations to test the utility of the different proposed organising principles for hydrological prediction.