The importance of classification differences and spatial resolution of land cover data in the uncertainty in model results over boreal ecosystems

One of the governing scientific objectives of the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is the development of methods for applying process models over large spatial scales using remote sensing and other integrative modeling techniques. This paper presents the first step in a modeling strategy that focuses on scaling a point model up to the BOREAS regional scale. The objective of this paper is to compare the effect of differences in spatial resolution of land cover data to land-atmosphere model results relative to the effect of differences in land cover sensors and classification schemes. The analysis suggests that the uncertainty in model results arises mainly from the uncertainty in the land cover classification and that the lack of spatial resolution has a lower effect. Overall, an uncertainty of approximately 15% in modeled energy and water balance fluxes and states has to be assigned because of the uncertainty in land cover classification.