Biogeochemical Models in the Environmental Sciences. The Dynamical System Paradigm and the Role of Simulation Modeling

摘要

Dynamical systems are the paradigm for the representation of complex systems. The fixed encoding ina closed set of equations, however, contrasts with the openness of biogeochemical systems. Parameteridentification is a major problem in biogeochemical systems and calibration of parameters converts models into'fitting machines'. Openness, self-modification, and historicity of biogeochemical systems make non-trivialpredictions of future outcomes impossible. Notwithstanding, simulation models serve as instruments of synthesisand have heuristic value to challenge existing data and theories. The modeling process itself, as a learning andcommunication process, can be a mode of coping with different types of complexity