362

Mapping of Australia based on the Holdridge Model

Mingming Jia Dianwei Liu, Kaishan Song, Zongming Wang, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology Chunying Ren Academy of Sciences Graduate School of Chinese Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Academy of Sciences; Changchun China; Beijing Changchun China [email protected]

Abstract-In this paper a new map of Australia with one Southern Oscillation. These are correlated with periodic million scale was produced based on the Holdridge Life Zone drought and the seasonal tropical low pressure system, which (HLZ) model. Climate data over the whole Australia from 1983 produces cyclones in northern Australia. In recent years, to 2007 were disposed in order to processed HLZ model and get a has become an increasing concern in Australia biome map. Australia is an extremely dry land, in this study we [4]; nevertheless, Australia is threatened by global warming. 2 obtained the area of arid biome was 3 561 674.31 km , occupy According to Annual Australian Climate Statement 2008 [5], 46.35 percent of the continent. When analyzing the effect of the mean annual temperatures increased significantly over the climatic variability, we found that in the period of 1983 to 2007, past decades. the mean annual temperature has an increasing trend, at the same time the annual was decreasing. This result B. Data Source reflected to the badly drought in these years. In this study, air temperature and precipitation data were Keywords- Holdridge Life Zone model; Biome map; Climatic selected from 724 weather stations scattered over mainland of variability; Australia Australia and Tasmania. These data were downloaded from the web set of National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The mean

I. INTRODUCTION annual biotemperature in degrees centigrade and mean annual precipitation in millimeters of each weather station in the Biomes are defined as "the world's major commumtles, period 1983 to 2007 were calculated in terms of daily mean classified according to the predominant vegetation and biotemperature and daily precipitation, respectively. characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment" [1]. In this paper, the Holdridge Life Zone (HLZ) model was chosen to generate a primary biome map of C. The HLZ Model Australia. This model is globally accepted, it is a kind of The HLZ model relates the large-scale distribution of climatic classification, and based on the theory that the natural vegetation to three key climate variables, namely, mean annual vegetation in an area could be determined objectively by the biotemperature (BT) in degrees centigrade, mean annual local climate [2, 3]. Australia is unique among countries all precipitation (P), and potential evapotranspiration ratio (PER). over the world. About 70 percent of the country is dominated The mean annual biotemperature was originally defined as the by arid or semi-arid vegetation; it makes Australia a wonderful mean positive unit-period temperature. All of the unit-period region, in which to study the specific qualities of arid values below 0 °c were substituted with 0 °c and values environments. The biome mapping of Australia could help above 30°C were substituted with 30 °c, because an organism evaluate the performance of climate models. This paper aims to cannot maintain its normal active growth below O°C or above map biomes of Australia based on the Holdridge Life Zone ° Model. 30 C [2]. Evapotranspiration refers to the total amount of water directly returned to the atmosphere in the form of vapor through the combined processes of evaporation and 11. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES transpiration. Potential evapotranspiration is the amount of water that would be transpired under constant optimal A. Study Area conditions of soil moisture and plant cover. The potential The region studied in this paper comprises the whole area evapotranspiration ratio is the ratio of the mean annual of the Commonwealth of Australia. The landmass of Australia, potential evapotranspiration to the average total annual 2 measuring about 7,692,024 km , is on the Indo-Australian Plate. precipitation, which provides an index of biological humidity Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is separated conditions. The formulas to calculate BT(x, y), P(x, y) and from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia is the PER(x, y) are: flattest and oldest continental landmass on the earth. The characteristics of the terrain can be sunnned up as in 1 365 BT(x,y) = - (x,y) the east, plains in the middle and plateau in the west. The �); (I) 365 ;=1 climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Nmo-

The National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB956103), and 2013C8430401

978-1-4673-1274-5/12/$31. 00 (cJ2012 IEEE 363

365 two hypotenuses represent to annual precipitation and potential P(X,y) = Ipi(x,y) (2) evaportranspiration ratio, respectively. The height of the i=l triangular reflects to mean annual temperature.In the present 58.93BT(x,y) research, ESRI ArcGIS 9.3 software was used to operate the PERf,;,y)= (3) P(X,y) Kriging interpolation method and form the [mal classification Ti(x,y) is the mean temperature of i-th day at the location (x, map of the HLZ model. The HLZ model and Kappa Statistic y), and Pi(x, y) is the precipitation on the i-th day in a year, were processed within the ENVI 4.3 and lDL 6.5 software. PER(x, y) is the evapotranspiration ratio at the location (x, y). Statistical analysis processes were done in SPSS 16.0. Fig.l shows the model of Holdridge Life Zone. The triangular 0.125 62.5

Altitudinal regions

.J.9.y...... 00 Latitudiual regious

Polar ·· · · ······· ° ------�!::�!: I . 5

Alpine ...... 30

�.�.�!!".?p.j.£�.! ...... Tropical

Humidity provinces

Figure.! The Holdrige Life Zone Model

300,722 km2, respectively; Subtropical distribute in the m. RESULTS Great Artesian Basin, it is the driest biome, mainly bare ground 2 The calculation results by operating the HLZ model during and salt lakes, the area is 87,865 km ; Subtropical desert scrub 1983 to 2007 on average gave a general biome map of and Subtropical thorn woodland dominated central and west Australia over 2007 (Fig.2). This map showed that Australia Australia landmass, they are the largest biomes, the area is 2 2 can be divided into 18 biomes. Tablel showed the area of each 1,379,533 km and 2,094,276 km ; Tropical very dry , biome. Alpine is the coldest biome in Australia only tropical dry forest, tropical thorn woodland and subtropical dry located at the top of Great Dividing Range Kosciuszko forest are revolving around the driest biomes, the area are 2 2 2 2 , 2000 meters above sea level, occupies 1,189 km2 494,500 km , 1,062,608 km , 555,136 km and 933,918 km , Cool temperate wet forest distributed in Kosciuszko Mountain respectively; Subtropical moist forest, subtropical wet forest, and northwest Tasmania Island, area is 65,703 km2 ; Cool and tropical moist forest are humid biomes distributed at the 2 2 temperate moist forest and warm temperate moist forest are edge of east coast, occupied 73,446 km , 634 km and 76,863 2 distributed at the Great Dividing Range and southeast of km , respectively. The main characteristic of the biomes Tasmania Island, occupies 1,145,710 km2, 68,970 km2, distribution can be described as semi-orbicular, around the respectively; Warm temperate dry forest and warm temperate central arid region, humid biomes dominated the east coast and thorn distributed northwest edge of Great Dividing Tasmania Island, and semiarid biomes occupied north and west. Range and south of Western Australia, 345,022 km2 and 361

N A

. , Holdridge Life Zones _ Alpine Tundra _ Subtropical desert _ Cool temperate moist forest Subtropical desert scrub Cool temperate steppe Subtropical dry forest

_ Cool temperate wet forest _ Subtropical moist forest

_ Warm temperate desert sscrub Subtropical thorn woodland Warm temperate dry forest Subtropical wet forest

_ Warm temperate moist forest _ Tropical dry forest Tropical thorn woodland O 250 500 1 , 000 Warm temperate thorn steppe _ Tropical moist forest _ Tropical very dry forest __-= ==::::JI____ Km

Figure. 2 Biome map of Australia in 2007

TABLE 1. THE AREA OF EACH BlOME OBTAINED THROUGH THE HLZ MODEL Type Area(Km2) Type Area(Km2) Alpine tundra 1,189 Subtropical desert scrub 1,379,533

Cool temperate moist forest 145,710 Subtropical dry forest 555,136

Cool temperate steppe 2,074 Subtropical moist forest 73,446 Cool temperate wet forest 65,703 Subtropical wet forest 634 Warm temperate desert scrub 3,853 Subtropical thorn woodland 2,094,276 Warm temperate dry forest 345,022 Tropical dry forest 494,500 Warm temperate moist forest 68,970 Tropical moist forest 76,863 Warm temperate thorn steppe 300,722 Tropical thorn woodland 1,062,608 Subtropical desert 87,865 Tropical very dry forest 933,918 Total area: 7,692,024 km2 combined is 1,467,398.19 km2, which occupy 19.10 IV. DISCUSSION percent of the continent. Australia government announced the Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent in total desert area equates to 18 percent of the total mainland area the world. Desert is the most typical land cover type of of Australia [6]. Our result is very close to the government Australia. According to USGS, desert is defined as areas with statistic result. These areas are dominated by mulga (Acacia an average annual precipitation of less than 250 millimeters. Tn aneura), gidgee (A. cambadgei) and mixed species our study, under the principle of HLZ model, in Australia three communities of the central Australian deserts, associated biomes can be classified as desert; they are subtropical desert, species include Grevillea spp., emu bushes (Eremophila spp.) subtropical desert scrub and warm temperate desert scrub. and a wide range of chenopod species including Atriplex, These biomes are distributed throughout the western plateau Maireana, Sclerolaena and Senna spp. and interior lowlands, lie within most part of South Australia The biome map based on the HLZ model was constructed and West Australia, south-east part of the Northern Territory, by the average value of climatic parameters during 1983 to and edge of Queensland and New South Wales. The size of the 2007. It resembles potential natural vegetation, which means 365 that the land cover types are in a steady climate condition. mean temperature was increasing at the same time the However, the famous climate phenomena of EI Nino and La precipitation was decreasing every year. That reflected that Nina can cause strong climatic shocks [7]. Unfortunately, Australia is suffering extremely drought these years. After Australia is one of the regions which have been badly analyze the effects of climatic variability on classification influenced by these phenomena. According to our research, results, we explained why we haven't got an excellent accuracy. climate changing dramatically in these years, the main trend is According to the result of our study, HLZ model used in biome that temperature was rising up, and precipitation was dropping mapping of large region is meaningful. This model will play an down. The classification result of MODIS land cover type was important role in reconstruct historical biome maps, and as well set made with temporal satellite data, for the temporal land as in simulating future biomes over other large region of the covers, the vegetations status demonstrated in the MODIS land world under climatic scenarios. cover maps are grown and shaped around 2007. But the biome map based on the HLZ model is obtained by the average REFERENCES temperature and precipitation. The annual around [1] year of 2007 were lower than the average value of the past 25 N.A. Campbell, Biology, 4th Edition." The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Menlo Park, California, 1996. years, and the mean temperatures are higher than the average. [2] In this case, dry biomes and warm biomes would be larger in L.R. Holdridge, Determination of world plant formations from simple climate data. Science, 1947, 105 (2727), 367- 368. MODIS land cover types than HLZ map. [3] L.R. Holdridge, W.e. Grenke, W.H. Hatheway, T. Liang, J.A. Tosi, Forest Environments in Tropical Life Zones. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1971. V. CONCLUSIONS [4] Australian State of the Environment Committee, 2006. In this paper, we introduced the HLZ model to build a new http: //www.environment.gov.au. biome map of Australia, statistic the areas of each biome. As [5] 1. Marohasy, 2009. Annual Australian Climate Statement 2008. the kappa statistic shows, this map got a good accuracy. Then http://jennifermarohasy.COlnl we focus on the typical biomes, desert and rainforest, to [6] M. Jia, D. Liu, K. Song, Classification and Verification of Land analyze the result of our biome map and explain the main Use/Cover in Australia Using MODIS Time-Series Data. Remote characteristics of Australian biological community. Australia is Sensing Technology and Application, 2010, 25(3):379-386. one of the regions which have been badly influenced by El [7] W.R. Emanuel, H.H, Shugart and M.P. Stevenson, Climatic change and the broad-scale distribution of terrestrial ecosystems complexes. Nino/La Nina-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We disposed 1985, 7; 19-43. climate data of 1983 to 2007, analyzed the climatic variability Climatic Change, and then contacted to the ENSO. The main trend of annual 本文献由“学霸图书馆-文献云下载”收集自网络，仅供学习交流使用。

学霸图书馆（www.xuebalib.com）是一个“整合众多图书馆数据库资源，

提供一站式文献检索和下载服务”的24 小时在线不限IP 图书馆。 图书馆致力于便利、促进学习与科研，提供最强文献下载服务。

图书馆导航：

图书馆首页 文献云下载 图书馆入口 外文数据库大全 疑难文献辅助工具