Microclimate modelling at macro scales: A test of a general microclimate model integrated with gridded continental-scale soil and weather data

MR Kearney; A Shamakhy; R Tingley; DJ Karoly; AA Hoffmann; PR Briggs; WP Porter

Journal article

Microclimate modelling at macro scales: A test of a general microclimate model integrated with gridded continental-scale soil and weather data

MR Kearney, A Shamakhy, R Tingley, DJ Karoly, AA Hoffmann, PR Briggs, WP Porter

Methods in Ecology and Evolution | Published : 2014

DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.12148

Abstract

The microclimate experienced by organisms is determined by local weather conditions. Yet the environmental data available for predicting the effect of climate on the distribution and abundance of organisms are typically in the form of long-term average monthly climate measured at standardized heights above the ground. Here, we demonstrate how hourly microclimates can be modelled mechanistically over decades at the continental scale with biologically suitable accuracy. We extend the microclimate model of the software package niche mapper to capture spatial and temporal variation in soil thermal properties and integrate it with gridded soil and weather data for Australia at 0·05° resolution. W..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Michael Kearney Author

David Karoly Author

Ary Hoffmann Author

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Funding Acknowledgements

We thank Gaylon Campbell, Keith Bristow and Brian Horton for discussion. This work was supported by a University of Melbourne Science Faculty Seed Grant to M.R.K., A.A.H. and D.J.K., an Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellowship to M.R.K., an ARC Laureate Fellowship to A.A.H., and an ARC Federation Fellowship to D.K., while R.T. was supported by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions.