The Land Sites Platform (LSP) is new open source software that makes it easier to run simulations of climate-ecosystem processes.
The LSP facilitates the use of CLM-FATES, which is a land surface model (CLM) coupled with an ecosystem model (FATES). CLM-FATES simulates an environment in which vegetation is affected by climate. It can for instance be used to test assumptions about physiological processes or explore potential responses of vegetation to climate change.
The advantage of using CLM-FATES through the LSP is that several technological challenges can be bypassed. Simulations can be run directly on personal computers and with different operating systems. In addition, the LSP includes an interface that relieves the analyst of considerable amounts of programming.