Galatoulas et al. (2026) Development of High-Resolution Agroclimatic Zoning Method to Determine Micro-Agroclimatic Zones in Greece

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Identification

• Journal: Earth
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-09
• Authors: Nikolaos-Fivos Galatoulas, Dimitrios E. Tsesmelis, Angeliki Kavga, Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos, Pantelis E. Barouchas
• DOI: 10.3390/earth7020061

Research Groups

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study proposes an integrated agroclimatic and micro-agroclimatic zoning approach for Greece, revealing high spatial variability with most agricultural areas classified as dry to sub-humid, which can inform efficient agrometeorological monitoring.

Objective

• To develop an integrated agroclimatic and micro-agroclimatic zoning approach for Greece to address climate variability and water scarcity challenges in agricultural sustainability.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Greece (country-level and micro-agroclimatic zones).
• Temporal Scale: Long-term daily data for precipitation and reference evapotranspiration, used to derive a static agroclimatic classification.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Empirical Bayesian Kriging for spatial interpolation.
• Data sources: Daily precipitation and reference evapotranspiration data from 139 meteorological stations and 382 rain gauges; CORINE Land Cover 2018 land-use data; topographic factors.

Main Results

• Identified eight distinct agroclimatic classes across Greece, showing high spatial variability.
• Most agricultural areas were classified as dry to sub-humid, indicating significant irrigation requirements and high sensitivity to drought.
• Micro-agroclimatic zones were delineated by combining agroclimatic classes, land use, and elevation.
• Validation against the Köppen–Geiger climate classification demonstrated high spatial and statistical agreement (χ² = 248,454.09, df = 49, p < 0.001), confirming the climatic validity and enhanced sensitivity of the proposed approach to local water balance conditions.

Contributions

• Provides a novel integrated agroclimatic and micro-agroclimatic zoning methodology specifically adapted for Greece's heterogeneous Mediterranean climate.
• Offers a foundational tool for digital agriculture and climate-resilient agriculture, particularly for optimizing the localization of IoT agrometeorological stations.
• Demonstrates a higher sensitivity to local water balance conditions compared to broader climate classifications.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Galatoulas2026Development,
  author = {Galatoulas, Nikolaos-Fivos and Tsesmelis, Dimitrios E. and Kavga, Angeliki and Kalogeropoulos, Kleomenis and Barouchas, Pantelis E.},
  title = {Development of High-Resolution Agroclimatic Zoning Method to Determine Micro-Agroclimatic Zones in Greece},
  journal = {Earth},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/earth7020061},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/earth7020061}
}