Abstract

CHAVEZ DURAN, Álvaro Agustín et al. Sensitivity of bioclimatic zones of Mexico facing climate change. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.spe10, pp.2021-2033. ISSN 2007-0934.

The weather is critical for the development of ecosystems and life on the planet, prolonged changes in its components cause changes in all living beings. In our country, concerning studies on the vulnerability of ecosystems against climate change information is scarce, usually focused on particular plant or animal species. This paper aims to delineate areas of the Mexican Republic that are sensitive to climate change. For this reason, we made a bioclimatic zoning based on the methodology Holdridge, identifying areas that correspond to transitional zones warm and dry-warm within the living spaces. We found that 29.61% ofthe continental area ofthe Mexican Republic is within transitional zones, where the temperature increases stipulated in RCP2.6 scenario for the period 2016 to 2035 of the IPCC cause considerable changes in the bioclimatic classification. A temperature increase of 0.3 °C will bring about changes in 17.25% ofthe estimated transition zones and 34.65% area if the increase was 0.7 °C, causing that its climatic characteristic locate them in warmer latitudinal regions and regions of drier humidity. The demarcation of sensitive areas to climate changes provides valuable information for research concerning adaptive capacity of ecosystems and the effects that climate change can cause a large scale.

Keywords : climate change; living areas; sensitivity; transitional.