Climate dynamics of the Kilimanjaro region

DFG FOR 1264 (NA 783/5-1)

Subproject within the DFG research unit 1264: Kilimanjaro ecosystems under global change: Linking biodiversity, biotic interactions and biogeochemical ecosystem processes

The project aims to generate satellite-supported area-wide datasets on the landscape scale as a basis for further integrative analysis of climate-biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in the Kilimanjaro area. The two main goals are:

1. the provision of high resolution hourly meteorological datasets for the project period, and
2. the generation of time series for cloud, fog and rainfall dynamics from 1979 until today.

In addition, these generated datasets will be used to adapt a limited-area atmospheric model (LAAM) to the Kilimanjaro region as a basis for evaluating the mutual influence of, and interactions between local land-cover change and climate change during the second phase of the project.

Beside the climatic datasets, satellite-based land cover classifications will be generated for certain dates between 1979 and today. All datasets are generally provided area-wide i. e. they will not only cover the all study plots but the entire core Kilimanjaro region.

During the first project phase, in-situ meteorological measurements will be physically or statistically linked with spatio-temporal explicit co-located satellite product information and extrapolated in space using the satellite-derived data values and land cover in order to generate reliable area-wide climatic datasets. The operational satellite retrievals will also be used in stand-alone mode to derive long–term series of cloud and rainfall dynamics. To investigate land-cover feedbacks on cloud and rainfall dynamics, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) will be implemented. Land cover classifications will be based on satellite images along with in-situ field spectrometer measurements and vegetation structural analysis obtained from other subprojects. The datasets generated by this sub-project form an invaluable basis for nearly all other subprojects as well as for further integrative analysis and future ecological model applications.