Understanding global-scale ecosystem responses to changing environmental conditions is important both as a scientific question and as the basis for making policy decisions. The confidence in regional models depends on how well the field data used to develop the model represent the region of interest, how well the environmental model driving variables (e.g., vegetation type, climate, and soils associated with a site used to parameterize ecosystem models) represent the region of interest, and how well regional model predictions agree with observed data for the region. To assess the accuracy of global model forecasts of terrestrial carbon cycling, two Ecosystem Model-Data Intercomparison (EMDI) workshops were held (December 1999 and April 2001). The workshops included 17 biogeochemical, satellite-driven, detailed process, and dynamic vegetation global model types. The approach was to run regional or global versions of the models for sites with net primary productivity (NPP) measurements (i.e., not fine-tuned for specific site conditions) and analyze the model-data differences. Extensive worldwide NPP data were assembled with model driver data, including vegetation, climate, and soils data, to perform the intercomparison. This report describes the compilation of NPP estimates for 2,523 sites and 5,164 0.5{sup o}-grid cells under the Global Primary Production Data Initiative (GPPDI) …

The IR spectra and normal-mode analysis of the adamantane-like compound [Mn4O6(bpea)4]n+ in two oxidation states, MnIV4 and MnIIIMnIV3, that are relevant to the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II are presented. Mn-O vibrational modes are identified with isotopic exchange, 16O->18O, of the mono-(mu)-oxo bridging atoms in the complex. IR spectra of the MnIIIMnIV3 species are obtained by electrochemical reduction of the MnIV4 species using a spectroelectrochemical cell, based on attenuated total reflection [Visser et al. Anal Chem 2001, 73, 4374-4378]. A novel method of subtraction is used to reduce background contributions from solvent and ligand modes, and the difference and double-difference spectra are used in identifying Mn-O bridging modes that are sensitive to oxidation state change. Two strong IR bands are observed for the MnIV4 species at 745 and 707 cm-1 and a weaker band at 510 cm-1. Upon reduction, the MnIIIMnIV3 species exhibits two strong IR bands at 745 and 680 cm-1, and several weaker bands are observed in the 510 - 425 cm-1 range. A normal mode analysis is performed to assign all the relevant bridging modes in the oxidized MnIV4 and reduced MnIIIMnIV3 species. The calculated force constants for the MnIV4 species are = 3.15 mdynAngstrom, = 0.55 …

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