From these analyses, bioclimatic profiles are produced which describe the climatic conditions sampled by the locations where the species has been observed. A subset was selected on the criterion that observations must be at least 3 km apart. The climate variables include mean annual temperature, maximum temperature of the hottest month, and annual precipitation, to name a few. Whether the species actually occurs in the regions indicated by the Potential Climatic Domain Map will depend on other factors such as the type of forest or wetland in the area. Ongoing research is aimed at adding additional data to the GIS that will enable these types of factors to be considered in defining current species distributions and reducing the cost of field survey and monitoring programs.
Climatic summaries are available for Ontario's amphibians and reptiles.
Here is a list of climate variables that are available. Marie, ON, P6A 5M7. P.O. Box 7000, Peterborough, ON, K9J 8M5. Recommended Reading Wetland Definitions Recommended Reading Behler, J.L. and F.W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians.