CLASS

CLASS (Catchment Scale Multiple-Landuse Atmosphere Soil Water and Solute Transport Model) is a physically based distributed eco-hydrological modelling framework that can be used to predict land-use effects at paddock, hillslope and catchment scales. Effects of climate scenarios predicted by stochastic climate models as well as the effects of spatio-temporal climate variations within a catchment can also be analysed. CLASS includes seven tools that can be used for water balance, solute balance and vegetation growth modelling, terrain modelling, recharge, discharge and lateral flow modelling and streamflow routing.

The CLASS catchment modelling approach allows for explicit connectivity of landscape elements within a catchment to be able to predict effects of land-use changes in upslope properties not just at the catchment outlet but also at the downslope properties.

CLASS U3M-1D
Unsaturated Moisture Movement Model
This tool can be used for estimating recharge, plant water use and soil evaporation across the soil profile at daily time step using the Richards’ equation.

CLASS PGM
Pasture Growth Model
This tool can be used to simulate growth of composite pasture types of multiple perennial or annual pasture species and to simulate pasture growth impacts on water balance from U3M-1D.

CLASS CGM
Crop Growth Model
This tool can be used to simulate growth of main C3 field crop types such as wheat, barley, canola, sunflowers and C4 field crop types such as maize and sorghum. CLASS CGM can also be used to simulate crop growth impacts on water balance from U3M-1D.

CLASS SA
CLASS Spatial Analyst
A spatial modelling tool that can be used to generate climate zones, multi-resolution DEMs, wetness index, lateral multiple flow paths, accumulation and dispersion of water and solutes from hazard areas, estimation of soil depth, soil material distribution and soil moisture storage capacity in different parts of the landscape.

CLASS 3PG +
Tree Growth Model
AVAILABLE: TBA
This tool can be used to simulate tree growth using the 3-PG+ model (Morris, 2003), an adaptation of the 3PG model and to simulate tree growth impacts on water balance from U3M-1D.

CLASS U3M-2D
Unsaturated Moisture Movement Model
AVAILABLE: TBA
This tool can be used to simulate recharge, matrix and preferential lateral flow, plant water use and soil evaporation across the soil profile in a hillslope at daily time step using the Richards? equation.

CLASS Catchment Model
AVAILABLE: TBA
The CLASS catchment model is an assembly of water balance, vegetation growth and terrain analysis tools included in CLASS and is designed to predict the hydrologic effects of land-use change and climate variability.