Changelog
All notable changes to CNit will be documented here.
The format follows Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.
Version 2.1.0 (2026-01-01)
Initial public release of CNit as a Python package with enhanced code and full documentation.
Previous Versions
The source code for earlier versions of CNit is available from previous Zenodo releases:
Tang, G., Nicholls, Z., Norton, A., Zaehle, S., & Meinshausen, M. (2024). Model Source Code for “Coupled Carbon-Nitrogen Cycle in MAGICC: Model Description and Calibration”. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12204421
Tang, G., Zaehle, S., Nicholls, Z., Norton, A., Ziehn, T., & Meinshausen, M. (2025). Model Source Code for the MAGICC Coupled Carbon–Nitrogen Cycle Model – CNit. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15569386
Added
Python package structure with pip/conda installation and dependency management
Unit handling with Pint integration for robust physical quantities
Comprehensive Sphinx documentation with scientific background and API reference
Quick start guide and complete example notebook with code, outputs, and visualizations
Model Features
Coupled carbon-nitrogen cycle for terrestrial ecosystems
Four nitrogen pools (plant, litter, soil, mineral) and three carbon pools
CO₂ fertilization, temperature sensitivity, and land use change effects
Nitrogen limitation on carbon uptake
Annual timestep with sub-annual process representation
Separation of deforestation/afforestation for land use emissions
Computationally efficient for integrated assessment modeling
MAGICC integration ready
See the CNit Model Overview for detailed model description.
Upcoming
Future versions may include:
Enhanced representation of nitrogen deposition
Additional nitrogen input pathways
Improved parameterization options
Additional example notebooks and use cases
Performance optimizations
Extended calibration examples
Note
Version numbering follows Semantic Versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH):
MAJOR: Incompatible API changes
MINOR: New features, backward-compatible
PATCH: Bug fixes, backward-compatible