Climate Suitability Maps for Biting Midge Across Eight Global Climate Models

DPIRD's Climate Vulnerability Assessment provides modeled climate suitability maps for the biting midge, a biosecurity risk. The dataset includes GeoTIFF maps for monthly suitability, phenophase suitability, and specific phenophase-climate variable combinations. It contains projections from eight global climate models, a historical observation-derived layer, and an ensemble median for each map.

Use Cases

• Analyze monthly climate suitability maps to identify seasonal patterns in biting midge habitat risk.
• Compare phenophase-specific suitability layers across eight GCMs to assess projection uncertainty for different life stages.
• Use the ensemble median maps for each phenophase to derive a consensus view of future climate vulnerability.
• Integrate historical observation-derived suitability maps with future projections to model changes in biting midge distribution.

Strengths

• Projections are based on eight distinct global climate models, providing a range of future scenarios.
• Data includes specific layers for monthly suitability, phenophase suitability, and phenophase-climate variable combinations.
• Maps are derived from a formal multicriteria analysis framework developed for consistent climate vulnerability assessment.
• Includes a baseline layer derived from historical climate observations for comparison with future projections.

Limitations

• The dataset is specific to a single biosecurity risk (biting midge) within the Australian context, limiting generalizability.
• Underlying model assumptions and exclusions are detailed in a separate methodology report, requiring external review for full understanding.
• Data format is primarily GeoTIFF, requiring GIS software for spatial analysis, which may limit accessibility for some users.

Provenance

Source

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)

Collection Method

Multicriteria analysis models applied to climate data to assess vulnerability, with maps generated for specific model elements.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Australia