PDG-Arena: an ecophysiological model for characterizing tree-tree interactions in heterogeneous and mixed stands

Key message

PDG-Arena, a new individual- and process-based ecophysiological model, was developed to simulate the functioning of mixed-species forests. It was evaluated using annual growth data on beech-fir stands of the French Prealps.

Keywords
Process-based modeling; Mixed forest; Competition; Overyielding; Drought; French Alps

Publication
Rouet, C., Davi, H., Druel, A. et al. PDG-Arena: an ecophysiological model for characterizing tree-tree interactions in heterogeneous and mixed stands. Annals of Forest Science 82, 8 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-025-01277-8

Data availability 
The PDG-Arena model is part of the Capsis framework, which aims to facilitate collaborative and shared software development for forest science (Dufour-Kowalski et al., 2012). PDG-Arena is an extension of the Physio-Demo-Genetics model, whose code is only accessible to members of the Capsis community for testing purposes. PDG-Arena can be run through Capsis either by script or via a graphical interface, using a formalized inventory (describing each tree of the plot, the plot and soil characteristics and physiological, demographic and genetic options), as well as a CASTANEA-adapted climate file.

A repository is made accessible on the Zenodo platform (Rouet et al., 2024b), containing:

•  The script used for the generation of inventories;
•  The inventories used in the simulations;
•  Two data sets describing the LAI and soil textures used in the simulations;
•  The results data set (including formatted data of simulations and measurements);
•  The script used for the analysis of the result data set;
• Raw simulation results are accessible on demand.

Handling editor 
Erwin Dreyer