Bioclimatic belts of west Europe : Relations between bioclimate and plant ecosystems

ABSTRACT

Bioclimatology is an ecological science which seeks to clarify existing relationships between living organisms (Biology) and limate (Physics). Amound the bioclimatic models and indices which allow demostration of this correlation, the thermicity index [It= (T+m+M)10] and bioclimatic belts are of particular usefulness and predictive value. In our view, the bioclimatic belts are primarily each one one of the thermoclimatic spaces delimited be bioindicators, recognizable in the terrestrial environment in altitudinal or latitudinal zonation. Such thermoclimatic spaces are delimited on determined values of the thermicity index or thermotypes (e.g., thermo-, meso-, supra-, oro-, etc) (AU)