CLIMEX 3.0.2
New Features
The following list includes the major differences between Version 2 and Version 3. In addition, a large number of minor improvements have been made to the program.
- Two species can now be fitted with interactions between them (either competition or synergy) specified via parameters.
- Radiation is available as an additional component to the Growth Index.
- Two non-specific components (definable by the user) can be added to the Growth Index. These are the Physical Substrate Index and the Biotic Substrate Index. The variables determining these indices can either be specified as a single value for all locations or they can be location specific and read from the MetManager.
- Automatic fitting of the parameter values that determine the Stress indices is available via a genetic algorithm based fitting routine.
- “Regional matching” (i.e, the use of a set of locations for the ‘Home’ location in the Match Climates function) is available.
- The MetManager application has been extended to allow the importation of up to 5 user-defined location constants as well as up to 5 user-defined variables.
Enhancements from version 1
CLIMEX has been considerably enhanced from Version 1.1. For users familiar with Version 1.1, the following list details the major differences. Those changes that may cause models to behave differently when moved to Version 2 are shown in italics.
- CLIMEX is now a DYMEX application. This has meant a radical change to the user interface and operation of the program which will require some relearning by users of CLIMEX V1.1. However, it has also allowed CLIMEX to use the very flexible display facilities provided by DYMEX. In particular, map capabilities are now much more powerful, with zoom and pan support. In addition, maps are constructed from standard shape files, many of which are available from various internet sites. A new MapManager allows map region files to be defined visually. Many map projections have been provided. Map printing has been enhanced and a Print Preview function provided.
- The same flexibility is also now available for Tables and Charts, which can be configured in a multitude of ways, and the configurations can be saved and reused in subsequent runs. Results can be saved as Microsoft Access® database tables. Charts and maps can be exported in raster (Windows bitmap, bmp or jpg) or vector (Windows enhanced metafile, emf) form.
- The new MetManager program is a Microsoft Access application and overcomes the data importing problems that users commonly had with the previous version. It is easy to create multiple databases of meteorological data and Location Selections from them. Data can still be imported with the .loc/.met format, as well as from .bmt files or Access files. A 0.5º world grid of meteorological data is included for those tasks where the standard database is not sufficient. Acknowledgement should be given to the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), Norwich (http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/hrg.htm) when the data is used. A reformatted 0.1° grid is available for non-commercial applications by courtesy of the CRU Norwich (http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/hrg.htm) and users are required to agree to comply with CRU restrictions.
- Soil Moisture and Average Temperature have been added as variables that can be included in the Match Index for Match Climates.
- Species Parameters are now stored in a separate file for each species (with the extension .cxp). The comments related to a species are stored in its parameter file. A conversion utility (cxdxconvert.exe) is provided to convert species and comment files from the Version 1 format to Version 2.
- The degree-day dependent Cold Stress uses degree-days based on a new threshold parameter (DVCS) rather than DV0. Note, however, that the default value of DVCS is the same as DV0. The new flexibility allows the users to use thresholds other than DV0.
- A third component has been added to the Cold Stress. This component acts in the same way as the component based on minimum temperature, but uses average temperature instead of the minimum. It is useful when comparing responses to climates with different diurnal ranges of temperature.
- The Interaction Stresses now include the time since the stress began as part of the calculation (as is done for all other Stress Indices). When such parameter files are converted using the conversion utility, the new parameter file will contain an indicator that directs CLIMEX to use the old Interaction Stress method. These species should preferably be refitted to use the new method.
- The differences in the Ecoclimatic Index (EI) can be plotted on a map after two sequential runs using the same locations. Thus users can quickly appreciate the changes that would result from, for example, the application of a Climate Change Scenario or a change in a parameter value.