Global Biome Projections from Multiple Climate Models

Multiple 30-minute resolution global raster models project vegetation changes using climate data from GFDL, GISS, and Oregon State University. The dataset applies the Biomes classification system to model shifts in global vegetation regions based on parameters like coldest month temperature and evapotranspiration ratios. It was created by the University of Trondheim's Department of Geography using the IDRISI program for conversion.

Use Cases

• Classify global biome types using the Biomes classification system based on raster values for coldest month temperature and growing degree days.
• Compare projected vegetation changes from three distinct climate models (GFDL, GISS, OSU) by analyzing their respective 'Coldest month' and 'Warmest month' temperature rasters.
• Model plant water stress and aridity by calculating the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration from the 'GFD Actual evotranspiration/potenial evotranspiration' and 'GISS' equivalent rasters.
• Analyze growing season length and thermal accumulation for different baseline temperatures using the 'Growing degree days baseline 0 degrees Celsius' and 'baseline 5 degrees Celsius' raster layers.

Strengths

• Data integrates projections from three major climate modeling institutions (GFDL, GISS, Oregon State University).
• Provides a consistent global 30-minute latitude/longitude raster grid derived from the ETOPO5 digital terrain model.
• Includes multiple key bioclimatic variables like temperature extremes, evapotranspiration ratios, and growing degree days for biome modeling.

Limitations

• The specific temporal coverage and projection years for the climate model outputs are not stated.
• Data resolution is coarse at 30 arc-minutes (~55 km at equator), limiting analysis of local-scale vegetation changes.
• The description contains typographical errors (e.g., 'evotranspiration', 'moth') indicating potential metadata inconsistencies.

Provenance

Source

Climate model data from Global Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), and Oregon State University, processed by the University of Trondheim, Department of Geography.

Collection Method

Climate model outputs combined with the Biomes classification system (Cramer & Prentice 1990) and converted to raster format using the IDRISI program.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage at 30-minute spatial resolution.