Competition for light in forest population dynamics: from computer simulator to mathematical model

In this article we build a mathematical model for forest growth and we compare this model with a computer forest simulator named SORTIE. The main ingredient taken into account in both models is the competition for light between trees. The parameters of the mathematical model are estimated by using SORTIE model, when the parameter values of SORTIE model correspond to the ones previously evaluated for the Great Mountain Forest in USA. We construct a size structured population dynamics model with one and two species and with spatial structure.