bioclim: An R package for bioclimatic classifications via adaptive water balance

Abstract

bioclim is a software package in R language for bioclimatic classification based on the Type of Bioclimatic Regime approach, which combines climatic and soil properties to classify a region according to its suitability for plant vegetative activity. We present the software’s operating modes, capabilities and limitations, including real-world usage examples. Using monthly temperature, precipitation, and field capacity as inputs, bioclim follows a straightforward workflow using three functions to compute: i) a comprehensive water balance describing water resource dynamics throughout the year; ii) a bioclimatic balance to estimate plant vegetative activity; and iii) a collection of bioclimatic intensities quantifying vegetative activity changes. The program uses the results of these functions to classify bioclimatic type at zonal, regional and local scales. The three functions’ outputs can be calculated independently, strengthening the software’s cross-disciplinary application potential, such as climatology and hydrology. bioclim uses numeric and raster formats as input data and contains highly flexible options for a wide range of purposes, from scientific research to end users’ representations. The water and bioclimatic balance results can be presented in numerical, graphical, or cartographic forms.