Article:

Bugmann, H.K. & Martin, P., 1995. How physics and biology matter in forest 
        gap models.  Climatic Change, 29(3): 251-257.

Abstract:

Models are artifacts, products of design. They are designed for a purpose. The purpose of a model determines the physical and biological facts and phenomena to be considered. Constrained by the availability of data, these facts and phenomena determine the temporal and spatial scales at which the model should operate. In turn, these scales determine which processes can and should be considered. Therefore, from a strict design standpoint, physics and biology matter in the design of ecological models. The purpose of this essay is to find out how they matter, both from a theoretical and a practical standpoint, drawing upon our experience with forest gap models (cf. Bonan, 1993).

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