Detailing Köppen–Geiger climate zones at sub‐national to continental scale: a resource for pest risk analysis

Abstract

The widely used Köppen–Geiger climate classification system can inform judgements of establishment during pest categorizations and systems of simplified pest risk assessment. Such processes allow national plant protection organizations to quickly identify plant pests of potential regulatory concern. Judging whether a pest can establish is a key factor in determining whether a pest satisfies the definition of a quarantine pest. Climate is often a significant factor influencing where species can establish. Here, we provide a resource that reports the Köppen–Geiger climate classification at a range of spatial scales from sub‐national to continental for the period 1986–2010 in an accessible table. The data is provided as a resource for pest risk analysis to inform and support rapid decision‐making. An online appendix is provided showing the number of grid cells in each of the 31 Köppen–Geiger climate types in 417 regions across the globe at country level or less. Thirteen climate types occur within the European Union (EU), the most common is ‘temperate oceanic’ occupying 48% of EU grid cells. Twenty‐four of 31 climate types occur within the EPPO region; the most common is ‘continental, uniform precipitation with cold summer’, occupying 35% of EPPO grid cells.