Global maps of soil temperature

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km2 resolution for 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km2 pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (−0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications.

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Main Authors: Lembrechts, Jonas J., van den Hoogen, Johan, Aalto, Juha, Ashcroft, Michael B., De Frenne, Pieter, Kemppinen, Julia, Kopecký, Martin, Luoto, Miska, Maclean, Ilya M.D., Crowther, Thomas W., Bailey, Joseph J., Haesen, Stef, Klinges, David H., Niittynen, Pekka, Scheffers, Brett R., Van Meerbeek, Koenraad, Aartsma, Peter, Abdalaze, Otar, Abedi, Mehdi, Aerts, Rien, Ahmadian, Negar, Ahrends, Antje, Alatalo, Juha M., Alexander, Jake M., Allonsius, Camille Nina, Altman, Jan, Ammann, Christof, Andres, Christian, Andrews, Christopher, Ardö, Jonas, Arriga, Nicola, Arzac, Alberto, Aschero, Valeria, Assis, Rafael L., Assmann, Jakob Johann, Bader, Maaike Y., Bahalkeh, Khadijeh, Barančok, Peter, Barrio, Isabel C., Barros, Agustina, Barthel, Matti, Basham, Edmund W., Bauters, Marijn, Bazzichetto, Manuele, Marchesini, Luca Belelli, Bell, Michael C., Benavides, Juan C., Benito Alonso, José Luis, Berauer, Bernd J., Bjerke, Jarle W., Björk, Robert G., Björkman, Mats P., Björnsdóttir, Katrin, Blonder, Benjamin, Boeckx, Pascal, Boike, Julia, Bokhorst, Stef, Brum, Bárbara N.S., Brůna, Josef, Buchmann, Nina, Buysse, Pauline, Camargo, José Luís, Campoe, Otávio C., Candan, Onur, Canessa, Rafaella, Cannone, Nicoletta, Carbognani, Michele, Carnicer, Jofre, Casanova-Katny, Angélica, Cesarz, Simone, Chojnicki, Bogdan, Choler, Philippe, Chown, Steven L., Cifuentes, Edgar F., Čiliak, Marek, Contador, Tamara, Convey, Peter, Cooper, Elisabeth J., Cremonese, Edoardo, Curasi, Salvatore R., Curtis, Robin, Cutini, Maurizio, Dahlberg, C.J., Daskalova, Gergana N., de Pablo, Miguel Angel, Della Chiesa, Stefano, Dengler, Jürgen, Deronde, Bart, Descombes, Patrice, Di Cecco, Valter, Di Musciano, Michele, Dick, Jan, Dimarco, Romina D., Dolezal, Jiri, Dorrepaal, Ellen, Dušek, Jiří, Eisenhauer, Nico, Eklundh, Lars, Erickson, Todd E., Erschbamer, Brigitta, Eugster, Werner, Ewers, Robert M., Exton, Dan A., Fanin, Nicolas, Fazlioglu, Fatih, Feigenwinter, Iris, Fenu, Giuseppe, Ferlian, Olga, Fernández Calzado, M.R., Fernández-Pascual, Eduardo, Finckh, Manfred, Higgens, Rebecca Finger, Forte, T.G.W., Freeman, Erika C., Frei, Esther R., Fuentes-Lillo, Eduardo, García, Rafael A., García, María B., Géron, Charly, Gharun, Mana, Ghosn, Dany, Gigauri, Khatuna, Gobin, Anne, Goded, Ignacio, Goeckede, Mathias, Gottschall, Felix, Goulding, Keith, Govaert, Sanne, Graae, Bente Jessen, Greenwood, Sarah, Greiser, Caroline, Grelle, Achim, Guénard, Benoit, Guglielmin, Mauro, Guillemot, Joannès, Haase, Peter, Haider, Sylvia, Halbritter, Aud H., Hamid, Maroof, Hammerle, Albin, Hampe, Arndt, Haugum, Siri V., Hederová, Lucia, Heinesch, Bernard, Helfter, Carole, Hepenstrick, Daniel, Herberich, Maximiliane, Herbst, Mathias, Hermanutz, Luise, Hik, David S., Hoffrén, Raúl, Homeier, Jürgen, Hörtnagl, Lukas, Høye, Toke T., Hrbacek, Filip, Hylander, Kristoffer, Iwata, Hiroki, Jackowicz-Korczynski, Marcin Antoni, Jactel, Hervé, Järveoja, Järvi, Jastrzębowski, Szymon, Jentsch, Anke, Jiménez, Juan J., Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg S., Jucker, Tommaso, Jump, Alistair S., Juszczak, Radoslaw, Kanka, Róbert, Kašpar, Vít, Kazakis, George, Kelly, Julia, Khuroo, Anzar A., Klemedtsson, Leif, Klisz, Marcin, Kljun, Natascha, Knohl, Alexander, Kobler, Johannes, Kollár, Jozef, Kotowska, Martyna M., Kovács, Bence, Kreyling, Juergen, Lamprecht, Andrea, Lang, Simone I., Larson, Christian, Larson, Keith, Laska, Kamil, le Maire, Guerric, Leihy, Rachel I., Lens, Luc, Liljebladh, Bengt, Lohila, Annalea, Lorite, Juan, Loubet, Benjamin, Lynn, Joshua, Macek, Martin, Mackenzie, Roy, Magliulo, Enzo, Maier, Regine, Malfasi, Francesco, Máliš, František, Man, Matěj, Manca, Giovanni, Manco, Antonio, Manise, Tanguy, Manolaki, Paraskevi, Marciniak, Felipe, Matula, Radim, Mazzolari, Ana Clara, Medinets, Sergiy, Medinets, Volodymyr, Meeussen, Camille, Merinero, Sonia, Mesquita, Rita C.G., Meusburger, Katrin, Meysman, Filip J.R., Michaletz, Sean T., Milbau, Ann, Moiseev, Dmitry, Moiseev, Pavel, Mondoni, Andrea, Monfries, Ruth, Montagnani, Leonardo, Moriana-Armendariz, Mikel, Morra di Cella, Umberto, Mörsdorf, Martin, Mosedale, Jonathan R., Muffler, Lena, Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam, Myers, Jonathan A., Myers-Smith, Isla H., Nagy, Laszlo, Nardino, Marianna, Naujokaitis-Lewis, Ilona, Newling, Emily, Nicklas, Lena, Niedrist, Georg, Niessner, Armin, Nilsson, Mats B., Normand, Signe, Nosetto, Marcelo D., Nouvellon, Yann, Nuñez, Martin A., Ogaya, Romà, Ogée, Jérôme, Okello, Joseph, Olejnik, Janusz, Olesen, Jørgen Eivind, Opedal, Øystein H., Orsenigo, Simone, Palaj, Andrej, Pampuch, Timo, Panov, Alexey V., Pärtel, Meelis, Pastor, Ada, Pauchard, Aníbal, Pauli, Harald, Pavelka, Marian, Pearse, William D., Peichl, Matthias, Pellissier, Loïc, Penczykowski, Rachel M., Penuelas, Josep, Petit Bon, Matteo, Petraglia, Alessandro, Phartyal, Shyam S., Phoenix, Gareth K., Pio, Casimiro, Pitacco, Andrea, Pitteloud, Camille, Plichta, Roman, Porro, Francesco, Portillo-Estrada, Miguel, Poulenard, Jérôme, Poyatos, Rafael, Prokushkin, Anatoly S., Puchalka, Radoslaw, Pușcaș, Mihai, Radujković, Dajana, Randall, Krystal, Ratier Backes, Amanda, Remmele, Sabine, Remmers, Wolfram, Renault, David, Risch, Anita C., Rixen, Christian, Robinson, Sharon A., Robroek, Bjorn J.M., Rocha, Adrian V., Rossi, Christian, Rossi, Graziano, Roupsard, Olivier, Rubtsov, Alexey V., Saccone, Patrick, Sagot, Clotilde, Sallo Bravo, Jhonatan, Santos, Cinthya C., Sarneel, Judith M., Scharnweber, Tobias, Schmeddes, Jonas, Schmidt, Marius, Scholten, Thomas, Schuchardt, Max, Schwartz, Naomi, Scott, Tony, Seeber, Julia, Segalin de Andrade, Ana Cristina, Seipel, Tim, Semenchuk, Philipp, Senior, Rebecca A., Serra-Diaz, Josep M., Sewerniak, Piotr, Shekhar, Ankit, Sidenko, Nikita V., Siebicke, Lukas, Siegwart Collier, Laura, Simpson, Elizabeth, Siqueira, David P., Sitková, Zuzana, Six, Johan, Smiljanic, Marko, Smith, Stuart W., Smith-Tripp, Sarah, Somers, Ben, Sørensen, Mia Vedel, Souza, José João L.L., Souza, Bartolomeu Israel, Souza Dias, Arildo, Spasojevic, Marko J., Speed, James D.M., Spicher, Fabien, Stanisci, Angela, Steinbauer, Klaus, Steinbrecher, Rainer, Steinwandter, Michael, Stemkovski, Michael, Stephan, Jörg G., Stiegler, Christian, Stoll, Stefan, Svátek, Martin, Svoboda, Miroslav, Tagesson, Torbern, Tanentzap, Andrew J., Tanneberger, Franziska, Theurillat, Jean Paul, Thomas, Haydn J.D., Thomas, Andrew D., Tielbörger, Katja, Tomaselli, Marcello, Treier, Urs Albert, Trouillier, Mario, Turtureanu, Pavel Dan, Tutton, Rosamond, Tyystjärvi, Vilna A., Ueyama, Masahito, Ujházy, Karol, Ujházyová, Mariana, Uogintas, Domas, Urban, Anastasiya V., Urban, Josef, Urbaniak, Marek, Ursu, Tudor Mihai, Vaccari, Francesco Primo, Van de Vondel, Stijn, van den Brink, Liesbeth, Van Geel, Maarten, Vandvik, Vigdis, Vangansbeke, Pieter, Varlagin, Andrej, Veen, G.F., Veenendaal, Elmar, Venn, Susanna E., Verbeeck, Hans, Verbrugggen, Erik, Verheijen, Frank G.A., Villar, Luis, Vitale, Luca, Vittoz, Pascal, Vives-Ingla, Maria, von Oppen, Jonathan, Walz, Josefine, Wang, Runxi, Wang, Yifeng, Way, Robert G., Wedegärtner, Ronja E.M., Weigel, Robert, Wild, Jan, Wilkinson, Matthew, Wilmking, Martin, Wingate, Lisa, Winkler, Manuela, Wipf, Sonja, Wohlfahrt, Georg, Xenakis, Georgios, Yang, Yan, Yu, Zicheng, Yu, Kailiang, Zellweger, Florian, Zhang, Jian, Zhang, Zhaochen, Zhao, Peng, Ziemblińska, Klaudia, Zimmermann, Reiner, Zong, Shengwei, Zyryanov, Viacheslav I., Nijs, Ivan, Lenoir, Jonathan
Format: Article/Letter to editor biblioteca
Language:English
Subjects:bioclimatic variables, global maps, microclimate, near-surface temperatures, soil temperature, soil-dwelling organisms, temperature offset, weather stations,
Online Access:https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/global-maps-of-soil-temperature
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Summary:Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km2 resolution for 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km2 pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (−0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications.