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A high-resolution bioclimate map of the world: a unifying framework for global biodiversity research and monitoring
Author
Marc J. Metzger, Robert.G.H. Bunce, Rob.H.G. Jongman, Roger Sayre, Antonio Trabucco and Robert J. Zomer
Year
2012
Journal Title
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Institution
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Volume
22
Issue
5
Pages
630–638
Call Number
JA0564-14
Keywords
Bioclimate indicators, biodiversity monitoring, climate, environmental stratification, global climate classification
Abstract:
Aim To develop a novel global spatial framework for the integration and analysis
of ecological and environmental data. Location The global land surface excluding Antarctica. Methods A broad set of climate-related variables were considered for inclusion
in a quantitative model, which partitions geographic space into bioclimate
regions. Statistical screening produced a subset of relevant bioclimate variables,
which were further compacted into fewer independent dimensions using principal
components analysis (PCA). An ISODATA clustering routine was then used to
classify the principal components into relatively homogeneous environmental
strata. The strata were aggregated into global environmental zones based on the
attribute distances between strata to provide structure and support a consistent
nomenclature. Results The global environmental stratification (GEnS) consists of 125 strata,
which have been aggregated into 18 global environmental zones. The stratification
has a 30 arcsec resolution (equivalent to 0.86 km2 at the equator). Aggregations of
the strata were compared with nine existing global, continental and national bioclimate
and ecosystem classifications using the Kappa statistic. Values range
between 0.54 and 0.72, indicating good agreement in bioclimate and ecosystem
patterns between existing maps and the GEnS. Main conclusions The GEnS provides a robust spatial analytical framework for
the aggregation of local observations, identification of gaps in current monitoring
efforts and systematic design of complementary and new monitoring and research.
The dataset is available for non-commercial use through the GEO portal (http://
www.geoportal.org).
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