Insolation, Precipitation, and Moisture Maps for a Virginia
Geographic Information System
by
Scott Donald Klopfer
Robert H. Giles, Jr. Chair
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
(ABSTRACT)
Climate information is valuable in understanding the ecology
of systems affecting wildlife. This information is often
unavailable at the landscape scale. This study evaluated
the applicability of several climate factor estimates at the
landscape-scale, and illustrated the usefulness of estimated
climate factors in ecological investigations.
Climate variables estimated for each month of the year were
solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, and potential
evapotranspiration. Map layers for combined temperature and
precipitation, and a moisture index were also created.
Accuracy of the estimates for temperature and precipitation
for each 300 m x 300 m pixel were quantitatively assessed.
The methods used estimated mean monthly temperature within
1 degree C. Precipitation estimates were within 9 mm of
actual recorded value. The estimates for monthly solar
radiation were qualitatively assessed, and provided a reason
able relative index to actual solar radiation. Estimates of
potential evapotranspiration were determined to be
reasonably accurate.
Landscape-scale estimated climate factors were used in 2
case studies. The first used logistic regression to examine
the importance of climate factors to the observed
distribution of 21 select forest cover-types in Virginia.
The second compared the observed climate characteristics for
the distributions of 3 species of terrestrial salamanders
in Virginia. Winter temperature was the most important
climate variable in determining forest cover-type
distribution. Several differences in the climate
characteristics of the 3 salamander distributions were
observed and discussed. The conclusions of this study were
that landscape-scale climate factors can be accurately
estimated, and the estimates may be helpful in ecological
investigations.
