diff --git a/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDTypesMod.F90 b/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDTypesMod.F90
index 3f507a12e4..06ab69b330 100755
--- a/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDTypesMod.F90
+++ b/components/clm/src/ED/main/EDTypesMod.F90
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ module EDTypesMod
   integer , parameter :: N_DBH_BINS           = 5          ! no. of dbh bins used when comparing patches
 
 
-  real(r8), parameter :: min_npm2       = 1.0E-8_r8  ! minimum cohort number density per m2 before termination
+  real(r8), parameter :: min_npm2       = 1.0E-11_r8  ! minimum cohort number density per m2 before termination
   real(r8), parameter :: min_patch_area = 0.001_r8   ! smallest allowable patch area before termination
-  real(r8), parameter :: min_nppatch    = 1.0E-11_r8 ! minimum number of cohorts per patch (min_npm2*min_patch_area)
+  real(r8), parameter :: min_nppatch    = 1.0E-14_r8 ! minimum number of cohorts per patch (min_npm2*min_patch_area)
   real(r8), parameter :: min_n_safemath = 1.0E-15_r8 ! in some cases, we want to immediately remove super small
                                                      ! number densities of cohorts to prevent FPEs, this is usually
                                                      ! just relevant in the first day after recruitment