METHOD OF MAPPING NATURAL TRANSITION ZONES (ECOTONES) Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC G09B29/00 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: latitude of the boundaries of transition zones - ecotones - between geographic zones is determined through the relationship between radiant heat flux on land (R) with the standardised latitude of the subboreal belt (x), which is described by an equation of the energy balance of geographic zones, expressed by a logistic function R=A/[1+0.72exp(4.25-Bx)]+C, where A is a coefficient of radiant heat flux, B is a zonality coefficient, C is the minimum annual radiant heat flux. The 90° latitude is taken as the zero standardised latitude range and the 0° equator latitude is taken as one. A zero value of the second derivative determines the latitude of the centre of the ecotone of the first spatial level, and extrema of the second derivative determine the latitude of the lower and upper boundaries of the ecotone of the first spatial level. Latitudes of centres of inter-zonal ecotones of the corresponding spatial level are determined from zero values of the third and higher derivatives. The latitude of the boundaries of transition regions (ecotones) is determined from extrema of said derivatives and the latitude range thereof is determined.

EFFECT: facilitating mapping of natural transition regions (ecotones) of a different spatial level in subboreal landscapes.

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