LandscapeDNDC is partly based on the DNDC model and contains a series of new features "with regard to process descriptions, model structure and data I/O functionality." (Haas et al., 2012). LandscapeDNDC incorporates functions of DNDC, PnET-N-DNDC/Forest-DNDC and was further developed from the MoBiLE model framework (Rahn et al.,2012). LandscapeDNDC simulates carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and water related biospehere-atmosphere-hydrospehere fluxes for forest, arable and grassland ecosystems. It incorporates different management practises and vegetation types and allows dynamic simulation of landuse change. Ecosystems are divided into six substates: canopy air chemistry, microclimate, physiology, water cycle, vegetation structure and soil biogeochemistry (Haas et al., 2012). Modules, derived from physical and chemical principles, that describe soil environmental conditions, soil-chemistry integrating microbial C and N turnover processes and vegetation dynamics are integrated within the model (Rahn et al., 2012).
The model can be applied at site scale and three-dimensional region simulations. The integration of all grid cells synchronously forward in time for regional simulations, enables efficient two-way exchange of states and easy coupling to other spatially distributed models.
Comparison of simulated and measured flux data by Rahn et al. (2012) showed high agreement, however, freeze-thaw processes (potential strong impact of N2O emission) could not be reproduced as the underlying processes are not included in the Landscape-DNDC.