Namelist Options

Note: These options are governed by the host-model that drives FATES. Efforts are made to keep these options consistent in the different driving models (e.g. E3SM/CSTM/etc).

For more information on how to set and use these modes, click on the links in the table where available.

Option	Type	Default w/FATES compset	Description
use_fates	true/false	`.true.`	Turns on/off fates! (for CTSM this is done by changing the XML variable CLM_BLDNML_OPTS to have “-bgc fates” rather than changing this in the namelist) Compsets with for example `_CLMXX%FATES_` turn this on [XX is for the specific version number)
fates_paramfile	String (filepath)	default file	path to an alternative netcdf fates parameter file
fates_spitfire_mode	int 0-4	`0`	SPITFIRE Namelist Options
fates_history_dimlevel	int 0-2	2	0 = no fates history variables are calculated or allocated, 1 = only time x space (3d) fates history variables allowed, 2 = multiplexed dimensioned fates history is also allowed
use_fates_logging	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off the logging module
use_fates_planthydro	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off the plant hydrodynamics module
use_fates_ed_st3	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off Static Stand Structure mode
use_fates_ed_prescribed_phys	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off Prescribed Physiology mode
use_fates_inventory_init	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off initialization from plant inventory data
fates_parteh_mode	integer	`1`	Specifies which plant allocation model to use
fates_inventory_ctrl_filename	String (filepath)	blank	When inventory initialization true, points to control file
use_fates_cohort_age_tracking	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off Cohort age tracking mode
use_fates_fixed_biogeog	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off fixed biogeography mode
use_fates_nocomp	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off no-competition mode
use_fates_sp	true/false	`.false.`	Turns on/off satellite phenology mode

For the nocomp and fixed biogeography, there are logical interactions between them, so what happens is related to the values of both switches. This logic looks like:

	use_fixed_biogeog = true	use_fixed_biogeog = false
use_fates_nocomp = true	Every PFT is given its own patch and the patch area for each PFT corresponds to the observed map	Every PFT is given its own patch and every PFT is given the same amount of patch area everywhere
use_fates_nocomp = false	Competition happens, but only between the PFTs that are allowed on a given gridcell	Competition occurs and governs the distribution of PFTs

For namelist entries that control the soil properties, or biogeochemical cycling, please refer to the host land-model documentation. Also, compare the desired namelist entries with the defaults generated by a FATES compset. Please create issues with questions regarding incompatibilities until more comprehensive documentation becomes available.

How to modify Namelist options

Both E3SM and CTSM (as of Jan 2018) use the file “user_nl_clm” as the means of modifying the namelist entries from the default values generated by different compsets. In this file, append a line for each option, with syntax “<option_name> = <option_value>”. Each line should be appended to the end of the file, usually just below the comments at the header of the file.

Example:

use_fates_planthydro = .true.

This user control file will be interpreted when the script “./case.build” is called. It will then use this information to generate the “lnd_in” file located in the run directory.”