It combines a process-based carbon balance approach with a strong inventory-based empirical component. The model has been linked to the global forest sector model EFI-GTM to secure consistency between timber cutting and demand, although prescribed harvest scenarios can also be used.
The use of the model has been demonstrated with its use with example simulations until the end of the 21st century in Europe (Härkönen et al. 2019), comparing different management scenarios in different regions under climate change. The model was consistent with country-level statistics of growing stock volumes (R2=0.938) and its projections of climate impact on growth agreed with other studies. The management changes had a greater impact on growing stocks, harvest potential and carbon balance than projected climate change, at least in the absence of increased disturbance rates.
Codes for FORMIT-M model is available at Mandelay Data site.
Härkönen, S., Neumann, M., Mues, V., Berninger, F., Bronisz, K., Cardellini, G., Chirici, G., Hasenauer, H., Koehl, M., Lang, M., Merganicova, K., Mohren, F., Moiseyev, A., Moreno, A., Mura, M., Muys, B., Olschofsky, K., Del Perugia, B., Rorstad, P. K., Solberg, B. , Thivolle-Cazat A, Trotsiuk V, Mäkelä, A. 2019. A climate-sensitive forest model for assessing impacts of forest management in Europe. Environmental Modelling & Software. 115: 128-143