Functionally relevant climate variables for arid lands: Aclimatic water deficit approach for modelling desert shrub distributions

Thomas E. Dilts; Peter J. Weisberg; Camie M. Dencker; Jeanne C. Chambers

doi:10.1111/jbi.12561

Treesearch

Functionally relevant climate variables for arid lands: Aclimatic water deficit approach for modelling desert shrub distributions

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Thomas E. Dilts, Peter J. Weisberg, Camie M. Dencker, Jeanne C. Chambers

Year:

2015

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12561

Source:

Journal of Biogeography. doi: 10.1111/jbi.12561

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Abstract

We have three goals. (1) To develop a suite of functionally relevant climate variables for modelling vegetation distribution on arid and semi-arid landscapes of the Great Basin, USA. (2) To compare the predictive power of vegetation distribution models based on mechanistically proximate factors (water deficit variables) and factors that are more mechanistically removed from a plant’s use of water (precipitation). (3) To quantify the climate gradients that control shrub distributions in a cold desert environment.

Keywords

climatic water deficit, climograph, cold desert shrubs, gradient analysis, Great Basin, mechanistic model, PRISM, species distribution modelling, water balance, western USA

Citation

Dilts, Thomas E.; Weisberg, Peter J.; Dencker, Camie M.; Chambers, Jeanne C. 2015. Functionally relevant climate variables for arid lands: A climatic water deficit approach for modelling desert shrub distributions. Journal of Biogeography. doi: 10.1111/jbi.12561