National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service(NESDIS)
This directory contains the documentation on Holdridge Life Zones published in the Global Ecosystems Database:
*LEEMANS HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONE CLASSES_help
Global Ecosystems Database Disc A: Chapter 6
Leemans Holdridge Life Zone Classifications
Holdridge Life Zones Classification
Holdridge Life Zones Aggregated Classification
DATA-SET DESCRIPTION
Data-Set Name: Leemans Holdridge Life Zone Classifications
Principal Investigator: Rik Leemans
International Institute for
Applied Systems Analysis
Scientific Reference: (* reprint on CD-ROM)
Leemans, Rik, 1989. "Possible Changes in Natural Vegetation
Patterns Due to a Global Warming." In: Hackl, A.
(eds.), Der Treibhauseffekt: das Problem - Mogliche
Folgen - Erforderliche MaBnahmen. Akademie f|r Umwelt
und Energie, Laxenburg, Austria. pp 105-122.
+ Leemans, Rik, 1990. "Possible Changes in Natural Vegetation
Patterns Due to a Global Warming." IIASA Working Paper
WP-90-08 and Publication Number 108 of the Biosphere
Dynamics Project. Laxenburg, Austria: International
Institute of Applied Systems Analysis. 22 pp.
SOURCE
Source Data Citation:
Leemans, R., 1989. Global Holdridge Life Zone
Classifications. Digital Raster Data on a 0.5-degree
Geographic (lat/long) 360x720 grid. Laxenberg, Austria:
IIASA. Floppy disk, 0.26 MB.
Contributor:
Dr. Rik Leemans
RIVM
National Institute of Public Health and Environmental
Protection
P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA
Bilthoven, The Netherlands
(31)30-749111
Distributor:
IIASA and RIVM
Vintage:
circa 1989
Lineage:
(1) Rik Leemans, Principal Investigator
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
(IIASA)
Laxenberg, Austria
ORIGINAL DESIGN
Variables:
(1) Characteristic life zone classes as predicted by
climate, according to the Holdridge classification
method.
(2) (1) above aggregated according to Olson's ecosystem
classes
Origin:
Classification based on climate parameters (temperature and
precipitation) from the IIASA database (see data-set A03).
(see Scientific Reference)
Geographic Reference:
latitude/longitude
Geographic Coverage:
Global
Maximum Latitude: +90 degrees (N)
Minimum Latitude: -90 degrees (S)
Maximum Longitude: +180 degrees (E)
Minimum Longitude: -180 degrees (W)
Geographic Sampling:
Characteristic classes for 0.5-degree grid cells.
Time Period:
Modern, 1931 through 1960.
Temporal Sampling:
Modern estimate, based on average or "normal" climate.
INTEGRATED DATA-SET
Data-Set Citation:
Leemans, R. 1992. Global Holdridge Life Zone
Classifications. Digital Raster Data on a 0.5-degree
Geographic (lat/long) 360x720 grid. In: Global
Ecosystems Database Version 1.0: Disc A. Boulder, CO:
NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. 2 independent
single-attribute spatial layers on CD-ROM, 0.5MB.
[first published in 1989]
Analyst:
Mark Ohrenschall
Projection:
Geographic (lat/long), GED window (see User's Guide).
Spatial Representation:
Characteristic classes for 0.5-degree cells
Temporal Representation:
Modern estimate
Data Representation:
1-byte integers, representing characteristic classes
Layers and Attributes:
2 independent single-attribute spatial layers
Compressed Data Volume:
32,624 bytes
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES
Monserud, R.A. and Leemans, R. 1992. The comparison of
global vegetation maps. Ecol. Modelling (in press).
Prentice, I.C., Cramer, W., Harrison, S.P, Leemans, R.,
Monserud, R.A. & Solomon, A.M. 1992. A global biome
model based on plant physiology and dominance, soil
properties and climate. J. Biogeography (in press).
Solomon, A.M. and R. Leemans. 1990. Climatic change and
landscape-ecological response: Issues and analyses. In:
Boer, M.M. and de Groot, R.S. (eds.), Landscape
Landscape Ecological Impact of Climatic Change. IOS
Press, Amsterdam. pp. 293-316 (ISBN 90 5199 023 5).
DATA FILE DESCRIPTION
DATA ELEMENT: Holdridge Life Zones Classification
STRUCTURE:
Raster Data Files: 0.5-degree 360x720 GED grid
(see User's Guide)
SERIES:
NONE
SPATIAL META-DATA:
LHOLD.DOC
file title : Leemans' Holdridge Life Zones Classification
data type : byte
file type : binary
columns : 720
rows : 360
ref. system : lat/long
ref. units : deg
unit dist. : 1.0000000
min. X : -180.0000000
max. X : 180.0000000
min. Y : -90.0000000
max. Y : 90.0000000
pos'n error : unknown
resolution : 0.5000000
min. value : 0
max. value : 38
value units : classed
value error : unknown
flag value : none
flag def'n : none
legend cats : 40
category 0 : 0 Oceans
category 1 : 1 Ice Ice
category 2 : 2 Po Des Polar Desert
category 3 : 3 Po Dry Tu Polar Dry Tundra
category 4 : 4 Po Mois T Polar Moist Tundra
category 5 : 5 Po Wet Tu Polar Wet Tundra
category 6 : 6 Po Rain T Polar Rain Tundra
category 7 : 7 Bor Des Boreal Desert
category 8 : 8 Bor Dry B Boreal Dry Bush
category 9 : 9 Bor Mois Boreal Moist Forest
category 10 : 10 Bor Wet F Boreal Wet Forest
category 11 : 11 Bor Rain Boreal Rain Forest
category 12 : 12 ClTmp Des Cool Temperate Desert
category 13 : 13 ClTmp D/B Cool Temperate Desert Bush
category 14 : 14 ClTmp Ste Cool Temperate Steppe
category 15 : 15 ClTmp MsF Cool Temperate Moist Forest
category 16 : 16 ClTmp Wet Cool Temperate Wet Forest
category 17 : 17 ClTmp RnF Cool Temperate Rain Forest
category 18 : 18 WmTmp Des Warm Temperate Desert
category 19 : 19 WmTmp D/B Warm Temperate Desert Bush
category 20 : 20 WmTmp Thn Warm Temperate Thorn Steppe
category 21 : 21 WmTmp Dry Warm Temperate Dry Forest
category 22 : 22 WmTmp MsF Warm Temperate Moist Forest
category 23 : 23 WmTmp Wet Warm Temperate Wet Forest
category 24 : 24 WmTmp RnF Warm Temperate Rain Forest
category 25 : 25 SbTrp Des Subtropical Desert
category 26 : 26 SbTrp D/B Subtropical Desert Bush
category 27 : 27 SbTrp Thn Subtropical Thorn Steppe
category 28 : 28 SbTrp Dry Subtropical Dry Forest
category 29 : 29 SbTrp MsF Subtropical Moist Forest
category 30 : 30 SbTrp Wet Subtropical Wet Forest
category 31 : 31 SbTrp RnF Subtropical Rain Forest
category 32 : 32 Trop Des Tropical Desert
category 33 : 33 Trop D/B Tropical Desert Bush
category 34 : 34 Trop ThnS Tropical Thorn Steppe
category 35 : 35 Trop VDry Tropical Very Dry Forest
category 36 : 36 Trop DryF Tropical Dry Forest
category 37 : 37 Trop MsFo Tropical Moist Forest
category 38 : 38 Trop WetF Tropical Wet Forest
category 39 : 39 Trop RnFo Tropical Rain Forest
ATTRIBUTE META-DATA:
NONE
NOTES:
DATA ELEMENT: Holdridge Life Zones Aggregated Classification
STRUCTURE:
Raster Data Files: 0.5-degree 360x720 GED grid
(see User's Guide)
SERIES:
NONE
SPATIAL META-DATA:
LHOLDAG.DOC
file title : Leemans' Holdridge Life Zones Aggregated Classification
data type : byte
file type : binary
columns : 720
rows : 360
ref. system : lat/long
ref. units : deg
unit dist. : 1.0000000
min. X : -180.0000000
max. X : 180.0000000
min. Y : -90.0000000
max. Y : 90.0000000
pos'n error : unknown
resolution : 0.5000000
min. value : 0
max. value : 14
value units : classed
value error : unknown
flag value : none
flag def'n : none
legend cats : 15
category 0 : 0 Oceans
category 1 : 1 Tundra Tundra
category 2 : 2 Cold Park Cold Parklands
category 3 : 3 Forest Tu Forest Tundra
category 4 : 4 Boreal Fo Boreal Forest
category 5 : 5 Cool Dese Cool Desert
category 6 : 6 Steppe Steppe
category 7 : 7 Temprt Fo Temperate Forest
category 8 : 8 Hot Deser Hot Desert
category 9 : 9 Chapparal Chapparal
category 10 : 10 WmTmp For Warm Temperate Forest
category 11 : 11 Trop Semi Tropical Semi-Arid
category 12 : 12 Trop DryF Tropical Dry Forest
category 13 : 13 Trop Seas Tropical Seasonal Forest
category 14 : 14 Trop Rain Tropical Rain Forest
ATTRIBUTE META-DATA:
NONE
NOTES:
TECHNICAL REPORT
Mark A. Ohrenschall
NOAA National Geophysical Data Center
Boulder, CO
The Leemans Holdridge Classification source data came as a
compressed file containing two variables, "standard" and
"aggregated with Olson's ecosystem classes." The data were in a
lat/long projection on a half-degree grid bounded by 90 degrees
north, 90 degrees south, 180 degrees west, and 180 degrees east.
The data are treated as average cell values.
Both data files were in compressed or run-length encoded format.
A FORTRAN routine to decode the data files was provided, which
was modified to generate the desired output, separating the two
numerical values and expanding the run-length encoded grid. This
program produced an integer-ASCII Idrisi file, for which an
IDRISI header (.DOC) file was created. The data-set was then
converted to a byte-binary file type in IDRISI. Legend
information was then entered by keyboard.
Although class 39 is documented for the "standard" version, this
value did not occur in the data-set. The original structure of
the data-set was compatible with the GED conventions, and thus
did not require re-working.
*LEEMANS HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONE CLASSES
ANCILLARY ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
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Holdridge Life Zones Aggregated Classification
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Scanned Documentation #*LH SCANNED DOCUMENTATION
*LH SCANNED DOCUMENTATION_help
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