Aashi et al. (2026) Dynamic canopy initiation in SWAT-C: Integrating climate-driven phenology and MODIS LAI in data-limited regions

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Modelling & Software
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-13
• Authors: Agarwal Aashi, Vamsi Krishna Vema
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107109

Research Groups

• Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, India

Short Summary

This study improves the forest growth dynamics in the SWAT-C model by integrating climate-driven phenology and MODIS LAI for data-limited tropical regions, resulting in improved ET simulations.

Objective

• Investigate the effect of dynamic canopy initiation on streamflow and ET simulation in tropical regions using the SWAT-C model.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Watersheds in tropical regions.
• Temporal Scale: Annual cycle with focus on dry and wet seasons.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: SWAT-C with modifications for dynamic canopy initiation (M2, M3) and default model (M1).
• Data sources: MODIS LAI, climate data, and streamflow observations.

Main Results

• Improved ET simulations in forested sub-basins using modified models (M2, M3), with 19% and 21% lower bias compared to the default model (M1).
• Variations in sediment yield and carbon storage dynamics among the three models.

Contributions

• This study demonstrates the importance of improving forest growth dynamics in ecohydrological models for accurate simulation of ET and other hydrological processes.
• The use of climate-driven phenology and MODIS LAI can enhance the accuracy of vegetation-related process representation in data-limited regions.

Funding

• Not specified.

Citation

@article{Aashi2026Dynamic,
  author = {Aashi, Agarwal and Vema, Vamsi Krishna},
  title = {Dynamic canopy initiation in SWAT-C: Integrating climate-driven phenology and MODIS LAI in data-limited regions},
  journal = {Environmental Modelling & Software},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107109},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107109}
}