Inducing Unstable Grassland Equilibrium States Due to Nonlinear Optimal Patterns of Initial and Parameter Perturbations: Theoretical Models

Due to uncertainties in initial conditions and parameters, the stability and uncertainty of grassland ecosystem simulations using ecosystem models are issues of concern. Our objective is to determine the types and patterns of initial and parameter perturbations that yield the greatest instability and uncertainty in simulated grassland ecosystems using theoretical models. We used a nonlinear optimization approach, i.e., a conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation related to initial and parameter perturbations (CNOP) approach, in our work. Numerical results indicated that the CNOP showed a special and nonlinear optimal pattern when the initial state variables and multiple parameters were considered simultaneously. A visibly different complex optimal pattern characterizing the CNOPs was obtained by choosing different combinations of initial state variables and multiple parameters in different physical processes. We propose that the grassland modeled ecosystem caused by the CNOP-type perturbation is unstable and exhibits two aspects: abrupt change and the time needed for the abrupt change from a grassland equilibrium state to a desert equilibrium state when the initial state variables and multiple parameters are considered simultaneously. We compared these findings with results affected by the CNOPs obtained by considering only uncertainties in initial state variables and in a single parameter. The numerical results imply that the nonlinear optimal pattern of initial perturbations and parameter perturbations, especially for more parameters or when special parameters are involved, plays a key role in determining stabilities and uncertainties associated with a simulated or predicted grassland ecosystem.