Simulation of Horizontal Wind Velocity

Wind plays a very important role in ecosystem change. Wind is the dominant disturbance on patterns of vegetation recovery (Schumacher et al., 2004). Many herbaceous species rely on wind as their most important dispersal vector (Schippers and Jongejans, 2005). Wind is also one of the major dynamic factors that cause extensive damage to ecosystems (Beinhauer and Kruse, 1994; Gardiner et al., 2000; Blennow and Sallnaes, 2004). Changes in the magnitude and spatial gradient of wind stress have significant effects on coastal pelagic ecosystems (Rykaczewski and Checkley, 2008). Ecological diversity in mountain ecosystems is considerably impacted by wind disturbance (Santos et al., 2010). This chapter focuses on the simulation of horizontal wind velocity above a nonuniform underlying surface.