Evaluating the present and future of ecology in Earth system models

Integrating ecological principles into Earth system models has advanced the field of ecology by challenging ecologists to quantitatively scale process across global environmental gradients. The fusion of ecology and modeling has also led to a new generation of Earth system models that more mechanistically simulate the exchange of energy, water, and greenhouse gases between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. However, not all ecological processes need nor should be included in Earth system models used for climate projections. We explore how to decide which ecological processes to add into Earth system models and how to evaluate currently included ecology.