Modeling water balance components of conifer species using the Noah-MP model in an eastern Mediterranean ecosystem

Abstract. Few studies have investigated the performance of land surface models for semiarid Mediterranean forests. This study aims to parameterize and test the performance of the Noah-MP land surface model for an eastern Mediterranean ecosystem. To this end, we calibrated the model for root zone soil moisture and transpiration of two conifer species, Pinus brutia, and Cupressus sempervirens, in a plantation forest on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The study area has a long-term average annual rainfall of 315 mm. Observations from 4 sap flow and 48 soil moisture sensors, for the period from December 2020 to June 2022, were used for model parameterization. A local sensitivity analysis found that the surface infiltration (REFKDT), hydraulic conductivity (SATDK), and stomatal resistance (RSMIN) parameters had the highest impacts on the water balance components (soil evaporation, tree transpiration, surface runoff, and drainage). The model performed better during the wetter 9-month validation period (379 mm rain) than during the drier 10-month calibration period (175 mm rain). Average soil moisture in the top 60 cm of the soil profile was reasonably well captured for both species (daily Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency > 0.80 for validation). Among the three soil layers, the second layer (20–40 cm) showed better simulation performance during both periods and for both species. The model exhibited limitations with respect to simulating transpiration, particularly during the drier calibration period. The inclusion of a root distribution function in the model, along with the monitoring of soil moisture below the 60 cm soil depth in the field, could improve the accuracy of model simulations in such water-limited ecosystems.