Primary Convener:
Elke Zeller, University of Arizona

Convener:
Jed Kaplan, University of Lausanne
Anta-Clarisse Sarr, University of Oregon
Sophia Macarewich, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research

Chair:
Elke Zeller, University of Arizona
Sophia Macarewich, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research
Maya Tessler, University of Arizona

Vegetation and climate interact through multiple biogeophysical and biogeochemical processes. The climate strongly influences vegetation dynamics, including growth, mortality, reproduction, and structural shifts in plant communities. In turn, vegetation changes impact the climate via the surface energy balance and water/carbon cycles. Understanding the role of vegetation in amplifying land-atmosphere feedbacks is essential for predicting the behavior of the Earth system. Focusing on past vegetation enables the integration of paleo proxy data with observational records within vegetation–climate modeling frameworks—extending analysis across longer timescales and a broader range of climate states.The goal of this session is to enhance our understanding of vegetation-climate interactions using modeling approaches focusing on past climates. Examples include studies on how vegetation shifts influenced regional-to-global climate change, the extent to which past vegetation distributions reflected climate conditions, and vegetation responses to past warm/high-CO₂ intervals. Submissions using interdisciplinary approaches that utilize models and proxy data are also welcome.

Index Terms
3322 Land|atmosphere interactions
3337 Global climate models
3344 Paleoclimatology

Neighborhoods:
3. Earth Covering