Ecosim - Ecosim

Our Vision

EcoSIM is an advanced simulation framework for the realistic portrayal of plant-soil-microbe interactions across scales. Combined with novel sensors and next-generation data capabilities, EcoSIM will provide game-changing solutions needed to understand and predict complex ecosystems under changing, real-world conditions.

What is
EcoSIM?

EcoSIM is an advanced simulation framework for the realistic portrayal of plant-soil-microbe interactions across scales that can be used to evaluate observed results from DOE research, and extended to a wide range of land modeling applications. EcoSIM capabilities aim to:

Better represent biogeochemical processes and interactions by integrating theories of dynamic resource allocation in plants and microbes, thermodynamic control of energy allocation, and plant and microbial traits informed by imaging and ‘omics;
Develop and flexibly integrate numerical model modules to span spatial scales, from soil pores and microbial cells to rhizosphere, plot, hillslope, and watershed; and
Quantify plant-soil-microbe interactions from field to testbed to laboratory.

The development, testing, and application of EcoSIM will revolutionize DOE’s predictive capability of ecosystem processes at multiple temporal and spatial scales and enable direct use of BioEPIC measurements to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics.

Bill Riley

Exploring Environmental-Biological Feedbacks Across Scales

BioEPIC, a 73,000 square-foot facility under development on the Berkeley Lab campus, will provide the expertise and capabilities to sense, manipulate, and simulate biological-environmental interactions across scales: from molecules to ecosystems and from seconds to decades. EcoSIM will:

Provide an advanced simulation framework to realistically portray plant-soil-microbe interactions across scales;
Integrate theory and observation to develop new robust and generalizable representations of biotic and abiotic processes key to soil-plant-microbe interactions; and
Provide new simulation capabilities to support the Watershed Function and Belowground Biogeochemistry Scientific Focus Areas and other projects supported by DOE-BER, which address plant-soil-microbial interactions across scales.

Our Research

EcoSIM develops new simulation capabilities for DOE-supported explorations into watershed functioning and belowground biogeochemistry led by Berkeley Lab.

Developing new theories to integrate how biology and the environment interact

New and existing theories to integrate biophysics, metabolism, ecology and evolution of microbes and plants with their dynamic physical and chemical environment.

Improving the representation of microbes in soil biogeochemical models

Developing modular representations of soil biogeochemistry, including microbial metabolic, biophysical and energetic traits, redox biogeochemistry and interactions with the soil physical environment.

Representing plant functional traits in realistic soil environments

Developing modular representations of plant and soil physical and hydrological traits and their interactions with terrestrial hydrobiogeochemical cycles.

Placing fine scale plant-soil-microbe interactions in ecosystem contexts

Scaling plant-soil-microbial interactions in complex terrestrial ecosystems by representing multi-scale controls on hydrobiogeochemistry.

Our Experts

Berkeley Lab experts in hydrology, geophysics, microbiology, biogeochemistry and climate science are pioneering the development of an integrated suite of advanced sensing, data integration, and model simulation capabilities to quantify plant-soil-microbe interactions across scales. They are the individuals behind EcoSIM.