CARTOGRAPHIC MODELING OF THE BIOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY OF MOLDOVA'S CLIMATE

Abstract

Cartographic approaches to studying the spatial distribution of the biological efficiency of Moldova's climate are presented and investigated. In particular, a Climate Biological Efficiency Index (CBEI) was calculated from data gathered from 17 meteorological stations in the republic for the period 1961–1992. The CBEI for this period is compared with one characterizing a “normal” climate (up to 1980) and the period of “global warming” (after 1980) to determine the extent to which recent trends have altered the republic's climate in terms of its suitability for agriculture. Translated by Edward Torrey, Alexandria, Virginia from: Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, seriya geograficheskaya, 1999, No 3, pp. 86-92.