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Searching by climate

Genesys makes it possible to search across more than 4.5 million accessions maintained in over 580 genebanks worldwide. Of those, over 1.1 million are accompanied by the geographical coordinates (i.e., the latitude and longitude) of the site from where the material was originally collected. Such geo-referenced accessions are included in the maps generated by Genesys.

Accessions collected from warmer environments may carry genetic traits that help them tolerate heat, while those from places with lower rainfall may be better able to cope with lack of water. Genesys lets you explore climate data from collecting sites to identify accessions that may be adapted to environmental conditions of interest.

The climate data in Genesys​

Genesys links the geographic coordinates of an accession with climate data for that location. The climate data is sourced from WorldClim, a global climate dataset with a spatial resolution of about 1x1 km at the equator. It includes a number of bioclimatic variables useful for plant research.

Map showing georeferenced Trifolium spumosum accessions in Genesys

Searching options​

There are three ways to search for accessions by climate in Genesys.

1. Select a point on the map​

The simplest option is to select the climate for which you wish to find adapted accessions by clicking on a specific point on land on the map in Genesys. Go to the map, click the "Show climate" (sun) icon on the left, then click anywhere on land. This will display the climate at the selected location and, at the bottom of the resulting panel, offer the option to list all the accessions from among your original selection that are linked to similar climatic conditions to those at that location.

Selecting a point on the map to view climate data and find matching accessions

2. Choose the climate of another accession​

Click on any accession that includes geographic coordinates, and Genesys will display the climatic conditions at that location and offers to find all accessions that match those conditions.

Accessing climate-based search from an accession details page

3. Use the filters sidebar​

The two options above use all of the climatic variables included in WorldClim. To specify your own set of filters, use the Climate at Origin section at the end of the filters sidebar. This allows you to pick and choose from among the WorldClim variables.

Adjusting climate filters in the sidebar

Climatic variables​

The Climate at Origin filter groups the available climatic variables into two categories: temperature and precipitation.

Temperature variables​

Temperature variables are derived from monthly temperature data and include annual, quarterly, and seasonal measures.

  • bio1 - Annual mean temperature [C]
  • bio2 - Mean diurnal range (mean of monthly max temp minus min temp)
  • bio3 - Isothermality (bio2 divided by bio7, times 100)
  • bio4 - Temperature seasonality (standard deviation times 100)
  • bio5 - Max temperature of warmest month [C]
  • bio6 - Min temperature of coldest month [C]
  • bio7 - Temperature annual range (bio5 minus bio6) [C]
  • bio8 - Mean temperature of wettest quarter [C]
  • bio9 - Mean temperature of driest quarter [C]
  • bio10 - Mean temperature of warmest quarter [C]
  • bio11 - Mean temperature of coldest quarter [C]

Precipitation variables​

Precipitation variables are derived from monthly precipitation totals and capture annual, seasonal, and monthly aspects of moisture availability.

  • bio12 - Annual precipitation [mm]
  • bio13 - Precipitation of wettest month [mm]
  • bio14 - Precipitation of driest month [mm]
  • bio15 - Precipitation seasonality (coefficient of variation)
  • bio16 - Precipitation of wettest quarter [mm]
  • bio17 - Precipitation of driest quarter [mm]
  • bio18 - Precipitation of warmest quarter [mm]
  • bio19 - Precipitation of coldest quarter [mm]

Filtering by temperature​

To filter by a temperature variable, expand the Temperature section and select a variable. For example, to find accessions collected from areas where the warmest month reaches 35°C or higher, select bio5 (Max temperature of warmest month) and enter 35 in the "At least" field.

Filtering accessions by maximum temperature of warmest month using bio5

The filter works as a range: "At least" sets the minimum value and "At most" sets the maximum. Accessions where the recorded value falls within your specified range will be shown in the results.

Filtering by precipitation​

Precipitation filters work in the same way. Expand the Precipitation section and select a variable, then enter your range of interest.

For example, to find accessions from relatively dry environments, you might set bio12 (Annual precipitation) to at most 400 mm.

What to do next​

Once you have identified accessions using climate filters, you can:

  • Request samples from the genebanks that conserve them through Genesys
  • Download passport data by logging in and clicking Download MCPD
  • Download a Keyhole Markup Language (KML) file for use in geographic information systems (GIS) or Google Earth by clicking Download KML

Download buttons in Genesys for accessing passport data and KML files

Video guide​

Dr. Alan Humphries, curator at the Australian Pastures Genebank, has compiled a comprehensive video guide on searching by climate in Genesys:

Watch the video guide on YouTube