Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

Standardized Preciptation-Evapotranspiration Index of Drought: Northeast Growing Season SPEI

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Metadata Provider

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

    • Address:
      705 Spear Street
      South Burlington, Vermont 05403
      United States of America

      Phone: (802) 391-4135
      Email: femc@uvm.edu
      Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

Abstract

    The Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) is a multiscalar drought index based on climatic data. It can be used for determining the onset, duration and magnitude of drought conditions with respect to normal conditions in a variety of natural and managed systems such as crops, ecosystems, rivers, water resources, etc.

Keywords

  • drought index, growing season, long term monitoring, northeast, spei,

Organizations

  • Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI ) : lead

Geographic Coverage

  • Coordinates

    Data Table

    • Title: Northeast Growing Season SPEI
    • Start Date: 1951-04-01
    • Description: Extract of SPEI growing season (April-Sept) drought index values for the Northeast with the long-term mean (1951-present).

    • Purpose: While mild, short-term droughts are not an uncommon event in Vermont, with higher temperatures resulting from continued climate change, we may see more severe or longer-duration droughts. Lack of water, particularly during the growing season, can result in short-term changes in our forests, for example, a tree will halt photosynthesis and growth until there is sufficient water. But droughts can also result in more serious consequences to forests, like lack of a viable seed crop or large die-offs of vulnerable species, locations, or age classes. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable to drought due to their shallow root systems. Further, droughts can increase the chance of forest fire -- to which many of our tree species are not adapted. Insect pest outbreaks can also be more destructive when they occur with or following drought.

    • Condensed Title: Z1242_3386_5DH3KA

    • Object Name: VMC.1242.3386

    • Data Type: mySQL
    • Citation: Standardized Preciptation-Evapotranspiration Index of Drought: Northeast Growing Season SPEI, 1951-04-01

    • Online Distribution: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/spei-drought/dataset/northeast-growing-season-spei

    Attribute List

      Attribute Name: LTMean
      • Label: LTMean
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: Region
      • Label: Region
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: State
      • Label: State
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: Year
      • Label: Year
      • Storage Type: int
      Attribute Name: YrMean
      • Label: YrMean
      • Storage Type: decimal

    Methods

    • No methods recorded for this dataset

    Sampling Equipment

    • No sampling equipment recorded for this dataset

    Site Characteristics

    • No site characteristics recorded for this dataset