English Abstract This report describes the model HEATHSOL. HEATHSOL has
been developed to simulate the competition for nitrogen and light between
grass and heather species occuring in natural heathlands in the Netherlands.
The model aims at predicting the biomass of both grass and heather species
as influenced by both nitrate and ammonium deposition, and will be used for
evaluating the effects of different deposition scenarios on the species
composition of heathland communities. Simulations can be carried out with a
community of one of the grass species Molinia caerulea and Deschampsia
flexuosa and one of the heather species Erica tetralix and Calluna vulgaris.
Sod-cutting can be simulated at user-specified times as a management
practice. When Calluna vulgaris is simulated, stochastically simulated
heather beetle plagues can be included.
