1.5 Local Domain

What is a Local Domain?

Sitting above Simulation Units, is the Local Domain. The Local Domain is the collective of Simulation Units that are bound for a specific purpose. This can be, for example, to report on the changes in carbon stocks for a particular region.

How are Local Domains used in the FLINT?

Within FLINT, Local Domains have three main functions. Firstly, they are used to ‘house’ the variable values for all the simulation units which they represent. Secondly, through a local domain controller they assign these values to the simulation units during a simulation. Thirdly, they receive the outputs simulation units, and up-date the domain characteristics.

As an example, using the latter scenario. As discussed above (see Simulation Units), the FLINT applies modules to individual Simulation Units to determine the stock and fluxes for individual pools. However, given the scale of these Simulation Units, they are often too high resolution for reporting purposes and as such need to be aggregated. Depending on the user’s requirements, the outputs of these processes are then summed at different spatial scales to provide information that can be used as part of national and international reporting obligations. As an example, if the user wishes to determine the carbon stock change over a specified period for a region where the Simulation Unit is represented by a pixel (25m x 25m) the FLINT would use pool specific modules to draw on the current values of each variable associated with each pixel within the given region. The module would then apply operations to each of these variables at the pixel level, and associate the outputs with the pixel. In terms of user output, the FLINT sums the new values for each pixel by module and produces a database of carbon stocks and fluxes for each pool over time for the region. For fluxes, the movement and the pools are both recorded (e.g. X t CO2-e from pool A to pool B).