Abstract: The main aim of the paper is to show how, and how many, simulations carried out using the Land Surface Model UTOPIA (University of TOrino model of land Process Interaction with Atmosphere) are representative of the micro-meteorological conditions and exchange processes at the atmosphere/biosphere interface, with a particular focus on heat and hydrologic transfers, over an area of the Piemonte (Piedmont) region, NW Italy, which is characterized by the presence of many vineyards. Another equally important aim is to understand how much the quality of the simulation outputs was influenced by the input data, whose measurements are often unavailable for long periods over country areas at an hourly basis. Three types of forcing data were used: observations from an experimental campaign carried out during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 vegetative seasons in three vineyards, and values extracted from the freely available Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS, versions 2.0 and 2.1). Since GLDAS also contains the outputs of the simulations performed using the Land Surface Model NOAH, an additional intercomparison between the two models, UTOPIA and NOAH, both driven by the same GLDAS datasets, was performed. The intercomparisons were performed on the following micro-meteorological variables: net radiation, sensible and latent turbulent heat fluxes, and temperature and humidity of soil. The results of this study indicate that the methodology of employing land surface models driven by a gridded database to evaluate variables of micro-meteorological and agronomic interest in the absence of observations is suitable and gives satisfactory results, with uncertainties comparable to measurement errors, thus, allowing us to also evaluate some time trends. The comparison between GLDAS2.0 and GLDAS2.1 indicates that the latter generally produces simulation outputs more similar to the observations than the former, using both UTOPIA and NOAH models.

Abstract: Modelling N transformations within cropping systems is crucial for N management optimization in order to increase N use efficiency and reduce N losses. Such modelling remains challenging because of the complexity of N cycling in soil–plant systems. In the current study, the uncertainties of six widely used process-based models (PBMs), including APSIM, CROPSYST, DAISY, FASSET, HERMES and STICS, were tested in simulating different N managements (catch crops (CC) and different N fertilizer rates) in 12-year rotations in Western Europe. Winter wheat, sugar beet and pea were the main crops, and radish was the main CC in the tested systems. Our results showed that PBMs simulated yield, aboveground biomass, N export and N uptake well with low RMSE values, except for sugar beet, which was generally less well parameterized. Moreover, PBMs provided more accurate crop simulations (i.e. N export and N uptake) compared to simulations of soil (N mineralization and soil mineral N (SMN)) and environmental variables (N leaching). The use of multi-model ensemble mean or median of four PBMs significantly reduced the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between simulations and observations to less than 15% for yield, aboveground biomass, N export and N uptake. Multi-model ensemble also significantly reduced the MAPE for net N mineralization and annual N leaching to around 15%, while it was larger than 20% for SMN. Generally, PBMs well simulated the CC effects on N fluxes, i.e. increasing N mineralization and reducing N leaching in both short-term and long-term, and all PBMs correctly predicted the effects of the reduced N rate on all measured variables in the study. The uncertainties of multi-model ensemble for N mineralization, SMN and N leaching were larger, mainly because these variables are influenced by plant-soil interactions and subject to cumulative long-term effects in crop rotations, which makes them more difficult to simulate. Large differences existed between individual PBMs due to the differences in formalisms for describing N processes in soil–plant systems, the skills of modelers and the model calibration level. In addition, the model performance also depended on the simulated variables, for instance, HERMES and FASSET performed better for yield and crop biomass, APSIM, DAISY and STICS performed better for N export and N uptake, STICS provided best simulation for SMN and N leaching among the six individual PBMs in the study, but all PBMs met difficulties to well predict either average or variance of soil N mineralization. Our results showed that better calibration for soil N variables is needed to improve model predictions of N cycling in order to optimize N management in crop rotations.

Abstract: Despite the scientific evidence that more plants and less animal-based food is more sustainable, policy interventions to reduce meat consumption are scarce. However, campaigns for meat free days in school and office canteens have spread globally over the last years. In this paper, we look at the Norwegian Armed Forces’ attempt to introduce the Meatless Monday campaign in their camps, and we evaluate the implementation process as well as the effect of the campaign on soldiers. Qualitative interviews with military staff indicate that lack of conviction about benefits of meat reduction, and the fact that kitchen staff did not feel ownership to the project, partly explain why vegetarian measures were not fully implemented in all the camps. A multivariate regression analysis with survey data from soldiers indicate that those who have experienced meat free days in the military kitchen are more prone to claim that joining the military has given them a more positive view on vegetarian food. Furthermore, the survey gives evidence that stated willingness to eat more vegetarian food is higher among soldiers who believe in the environmental and health benefits of meat reduction.