Spatial climate data and assessment of climate change impacts on forest ecosystems.
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/pubs/pubs/1392.htm
d significant improvements over original PRISM climate data. A stand-alone MS Windows application (ClimateBC) was developed to perform all calculations and to integrate predictions of future climate from various global circulation models. Examples of applications of the spatially distributed, scale-free data are presented. Data produced by ClimateBC was used to determine climatic moisture deficits on an elevation transect on Vancouver Island. Climate data at 400 m grid spacing were overlain on subzone variant maps of the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification system to provide descriptions of variant climates. This was repeated for future possible climates and assessments made of changes in climate of selected ecosystems and potential responses of the vegetation. The influence of climate change on snow accumulation and melt at a high-elevation forest site was evaluated. Data and programs are available through web sites. ...
