Mechanistic Models: Application in Basic and Applied Woody Ornamental Water Relations Research

Although the mechanistic approach to modeling transpiration has significant development and application costs, detailed mechanistic understanding and modeling of water flux components is needed to adequately predict water use in different woody ornamental production systems.  In this synthesis, we discuss the current status of mechanistic models, methodological challenges, approaches to integrating models and measurements, and their applications in woody ornamental water relations.  A combination of leaf and whole-tree measurements and stand-level extrapolations were used to assess how transpiration might be affected by the spatial and temporal resolution of a model.  Statistical tools used to evaluate performance reveal potential limits of predictions and measurements while highlighting methods to increase the accuracy of model predictions.