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Biophysical Variables Air temperature:
is the average energy of random motion of the constituents of air. Albedo:
is the fraction of radiation that is reflected by the earth's surface. Biomass above
ground: is the amount of living substance in a defined sample. Firn temperature:
is the temperature of firns (granular ice formed by the recrystallization
of snow) at various depths (ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers). Forest cover
change: is the change of the surface covered by forests. Forest
cover, in the context of the remote sensing component of FAO’s Forest
Resources Assessment (FRA) series, is defined as land with tree crown
cover > 10 % and with tree heights > 5 metres covering an area >
0.5 ha. Woody vegetation cover with canopy cover > 10 % and heights
between 1 m and 5 m are called shrubs. Geohazards [not represented in TEMS, its a IGOS theme]: including earthquake hazards, ground instability hazards, volcanic hazards. Glacier change
in length: is the change in the length of a glacier measured
from its starting point to the terminus where ablation exceeds ice advection
by glacier flow. Glacier mass balance: under review Indicator
Species: are defined as species which can provide information
on ecological changes and give early warning signals regarding ecosystem
processes in site-specific conditions due to their sensitive reactions
to them. Land cover:
is defined as the observed physical cover including the vegetation (natural
or planted) and human constructions which cover the earth's surface. Water,
ice, bare rock or sand surfaces count as land cover. Land use:
is based upon the function of the land, i.e. the purpose for which the
land is being used. Land use can be defined as a series of activities
undertaken to produce one or more goods or services. A given land use
may take place on one, or more than one, pieces of land and several land
uses may occur on the same piece of land. Net ecosystem
productivity (NEP): is a measure of the residual annual carbon
incremented to the long-term carbon stocks of any given region or location. Permafrost
active layer: is the vertical distance between the surface and
the permafrost table. Permafrost
Thermal State: is the temperature of the permafrost layer at
defined sampling points. Precipitation:
includes all fallen liquids and solids (rain, snow, hail) as well as deposed
forms (dew, frost, rime etc.). Snow cover
area: is the area of land covered by snow. Snow cover has major
effects on surface albedo and energy balance. Snow albedo is 3 to 4 times
higher than over other land surfaces (except ice). Snowmelt is important
in the seasonal change of energy flux and in soil moisture and ground
water re-charge. Mountain snow packs are a primary water resource in semi-arid
areas (such as Central Asia and western North America) and a major economic
base for tourism. Snow depth:
is the vertical extension of snow at defined sample points. Snow water
equivalent: is the water content obtained from melting a defined
sample of snow. Soil annual
loss from erosion: is the annual loss of soil per defined area
due to fluvial (water) and eolian (wind) erosion. Soil erosion has become
an important social, economical and ecological problem, threatening land
use sustainability. There are several causes for soil loss: sheet and
rill erosion and gullying (caused by water, wind erosion, mineralization
of peat soils, mechanical erosion, etc.). Soil depth:
indicates the state of pedogenesis; soil depth changes can indicate degradation
and other transformation processes. Soil depth usually remains the same
over very long periods of time. Sudden changes will most likely be the
result of a change of the soil itself (erosion, soil removal or allocation).
Soil depth is the vertical distance between the surface and the parent
material of a soil. Soil micronutrients:
is the soil total carbon, soil total phosphorous, and soil total nitrogen. Surface water
storage fluxes: Change in volume and extension of inland water
bodies. Topography:
is the relief and contours of the land surface. Topographic data are necessary
to properly quantify the interactions between the solar radiation, water,
and the heterogeneous land surface, including the measurements of these
interactions from remote platforms. Surface water discharge:
surface discharge is a measure of the volume of water flowing through
a river channel cross-section per unit of time. Water sediment
load: freshwater sediment load is the sum of the framework bedload,
the matrix bedload and the suspended solids of an aquatic system.
Access to markets, to information, to education and to communication [not represented in TEMS, source: Mountain Agenda, 2001] Adult illiteracy: the adult illiteracy rate is the percentage of people aged 15 and over who cannot read and write. variable sheet Age distribution: the percentage of the population in the three age groups of 0-14, 15-59 and 60 years and over. variable sheet Agricultural productivity: the ratio of agricultural value added, measured in US dollars, to the number of workers in agriculture. variable sheet Arable Land: land under temporary crops, temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens (per capita). variable sheet Body mass index (BMI): the body mass index is usually measured with the Quetelet index as follows: weight divided by height squared (W/H2 [kg/m2]). [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE] Calories availability: the food supply, per capita, available for human consumption during the reference period. variable sheet Gender structure: means females respectively males as a percentage of the total population [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE]. Health care: the percentage of the mountain population that can expect treatment for common diseases and injuries. variable sheet Human development index: average of the life expectancy index, the educational attainment index and adjusted GDP per capita (PPP US$) index. variable sheet Human migration: the movement of persons from one country or locality to another. [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE] Infant mortality: the infant mortality rate is the proportion of children who die before reaching the age of 12 months. variable sheet Land tenure: the pattern of land ownership. Land can be owned by a small number of individuals, companies, organizations or by the government. [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE] Language diversity: can be used as an indicator of cultural diversity. [not represented in TEMS, source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment] Live expectancy: is the average number of years people would be expected to live if the current mortality conditions prevailed throughout their lives. variable sheet Livestock density: the biomass of livestocks per unit area. variable sheet Malnutrition prevalence: the percentage of children under the age of five who suffer from moderate and severe underweight, wasting and stunting. variable sheet Mountain crops: all species cultivated by mountain dwellers (agrobiodiversity). [not represented in TEMS, source: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment] Natural disasters: number of deaths from natural (e.g. avalanches, cyclones, landslides etc) and technological disasters (e.g. chemical accidents). variable sheet Natural resource exploitation: the amount and the specific types of natural resources used by mountain dwellers. [not represented in TEMS, source: Millenium Ecosystem Assessment] Number of Tourists and Earnings from tourism: tourism is increasingly a major source of income and employment in mountain areas and is providing a rare opportunity for mountain people to participate directly in global economy. [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE] Population
density: describes the number of inhabitants per unit of a total
area (per square km). Population living below the poverty line: the percentage of population (rural or urban) living below the national (rural or urban) poverty line. variable sheet Potential for renewable energy production: the potential for the production of energy (particularly hydroelectricity) due to the altitudinal gradient of mountains. [not represented in TEMS, source: Mountain Agenda, 2001] Presence of tensions and conflicts: in mountain regions a particularly high proportion of wars and conflicts occur, usually because of interactions with the lowlands. Tensions and conflicts within communities increase their vulnerability. [not represented in TEMS, source: GLOCHAMORE] Remoteness from roads: the distance of a certain area from roads and is used as an indicator to describe the degree of isolation of an area or a population group. [not represented in TEMS, source] Safe water:
the % of the mountain population with reasonable access to an
adequate amount of safe drinking water. Sanitation:
the % of the population with access to sanitation. Total population
living in mountain regions: includes all residents living in
mountainous areas (referring the definition of Mountains by UNEP-WCMC,
see glossary). Urban population:
the ratio of the population of urban agglomerations to the total population. Water withdrawal:
the total water withdrawal divided by the population. |
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Mountain
variables