ACCESS: a spatially-distributed, soil water and crop development model for climate change research

Abstract

8 pages, 3 figures, 13 references.-- Vol. 45: Implications of "Global Environmental Change" for crops in Europe.-- 1-3, abril, 1996, Churchill College, Cambridge. ; ACCESS (AgroClimatic Change and European Soil Suitability) is a spatially distributed model that will evaluate the impact of climate change on the soil water balance (including a submodel of preferential water flow through macropores), the risk of land degradation (soil erosion and salinisation), root development, and crop growth for a range of strategic European crops (wheat, maize, sunflower, soybean). ACCESS comprises two parallel, integrated and complementary model components: ACCESS-I and ACCESS-II, that work wilh different time-steps and at different spatial scales. ACCESS-I uses monthly meteorological data and simple soils' information, notably from soil surveys. ACCESS-I1 requires daily meteorological data and more detailed soils' information. ACCESS-I is applicable to large geographic regions (including countries), whereas ACCESS-II can be applied to smaller sub-regions and individual sites. An important feature of modelling at different levels of complexity is that the assumptions used in the application of ACCESS-I over large geographic areas can be cross-validated against ACCESS-II applied to sites or sub-regions within that larger area. In this way, the potential errors associated with scaling-up can be assessed. ; The development of ACCESS was funded through DGXII ofthe European Commission (contract number EV5VCT920129) under the Framework 3 Programme. ; Peer reviewed