diff --git a/components/clm/src/ED/biogeochem/EDSharedParamsMod.F90 b/components/clm/src/ED/biogeochem/EDSharedParamsMod.F90
index a6aaa26d9b..c3610b0553 100644
--- a/components/clm/src/ED/biogeochem/EDSharedParamsMod.F90
+++ b/components/clm/src/ED/biogeochem/EDSharedParamsMod.F90
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ subroutine RegisterParams(this, fates_params)
     ! that need to be synced with host values.
 
     use FatesParametersInterface, only : fates_parameters_type, param_string_length
-    use FatesParametersInterface, only : dimension_name_scalar, dimension_shape_scalar
 
     implicit none
 
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ subroutine RegisterParamsScalar(this, fates_params)
     ! that need to be synced with host values.
 
     use FatesParametersInterface, only : fates_parameters_type, param_string_length
-    use FatesParametersInterface, only : dimension_name_allpfts, dimension_shape_scalar
+    use FatesParametersInterface, only : dimension_name_allpfts, dimension_shape_1d
 
     implicit none
 
@@ -98,11 +97,11 @@ subroutine RegisterParamsScalar(this, fates_params)
     call this%Init()
 
     name = 'q10_mr'
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=name, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=name, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
          dimension_names=dim_names, sync_with_host=.true.)
 
     name = 'froz_q10'
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=name, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=name, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
          dimension_names=dim_names, sync_with_host=.true.)
 
   end subroutine RegisterParamsScalar
diff --git a/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDParamsMod.F90 b/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDParamsMod.F90
index 344cf91606..dc67ebd869 100644
--- a/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDParamsMod.F90
+++ b/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDParamsMod.F90
@@ -74,54 +74,54 @@ subroutine FatesRegisterParams(fates_params)
     ! indicate whether they are fates parameters or host parameters
     ! that need to be synced with host values.
 
-    use FatesParametersInterface, only : fates_parameters_type, dimension_name_scalar, dimension_shape_scalar
+    use FatesParametersInterface, only : fates_parameters_type, dimension_name_scalar1d, dimension_shape_1d
 
     implicit none
 
     class(fates_parameters_type), intent(inout) :: fates_params
 
-    character(len=param_string_length), parameter :: dim_names_scalar(1) = (/dimension_name_scalar/)
+    character(len=param_string_length), parameter :: dim_names(1) = (/dimension_name_scalar1d/)
 
     call FatesParamsInit()
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_grass_spread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_grass_spread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_comp_excln, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_comp_excln, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_grass_spread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_grass_spread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_comp_excln, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_comp_excln, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_stress_mort, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_stress_mort, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_dispersal, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_dispersal, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_maxspread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_maxspread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_minspread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_minspread, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_init_litter, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_init_litter, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_nfires, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_nfires, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_understorey_death, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_understorey_death, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_profile_tol, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_profile_tol, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
-    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_ag_biomass, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_scalar, &
-         dimension_names=dim_names_scalar)
+    call fates_params%RegisterParameter(name=ED_name_ag_biomass, dimension_shape=dimension_shape_1d, &
+         dimension_names=dim_names)
 
   end subroutine FatesRegisterParams
   
diff --git a/components/clm/src/ED/main/FatesParametersInterface.F90 b/components/clm/src/ED/main/FatesParametersInterface.F90
index 60bae8eb57..cfebf64f7f 100644
--- a/components/clm/src/ED/main/FatesParametersInterface.F90
+++ b/components/clm/src/ED/main/FatesParametersInterface.F90
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ module FatesParametersInterface
   ! parameters. Can't be done easily until this framework is being
   ! used to read variables.
   ! FIXME(bja, 2017-01) change 'param' to 'scalar'!
-  character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_scalar = 'param'
+  character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_scalar = ''
+  character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_scalar1d = 'param'
   character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_pft = 'pft'
   character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_segment = 'segment'
   character(len=*), parameter, public :: dimension_name_cwd = 'NCWD'