A continuous climate-vegetation classification for use in climate-biosphere studies

An interactive coupling of global climate models with models for the terrestrial vegetation requires a reduction of the number of vegetation classes in comparison with traditional bioclimatic classification. We suggest a continuous vegetation classification based on two main plant functional types: trees and grass. Correspondence between climate and these vegetation types on a global scale was analysed on the basis of stare-of-the-art global climate and vegetation datasets. An empirical formula describing a fraction of trees as a function of climate (mean annual temperature and precipitation) was obtained. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.