Spatial Patterns and Magnitudes of Agriculturally Pertinent Climate Indicators across Agroecosystems in Türkiye

This research utilized NASA–Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) datasets to quantify and map long-term annual and growing-season mean maximum, minimum, and mean air temperatures (T_max, T_min,and T_avg); diurnal temperature range (DTR); growing degree-days (thermal unit) (GDD); seasonal total precipitation; mean daily precipitation; incoming shortwave radiation R_s; relative humidity (RH); wind speed u₂; saturation and actual vapor pressures (e_s and e_a); vapor pressure deficit (VPD); grass-and alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration (ET_o and ET_r); and aridity index (AI) over the nine agricultural zones of Türkiye (Turkey). In addition to the latitudinal influence, the influence of continentality and oceanity effects and physiographic features were evident in the spatial patterns of all climate in-dicators. T_min was the most spatially variable indicator at both scales, which can have significant impact on nighttime respiration, potentially reducing agroecosystem productivity. At the annual scale, climate indicators that showed coefficient of variation (CV) greater than 0.20 were GDD, T_avg,VPD,AI,ande_a. Growing-season mean indicators with CV. 0.20 were GDD, AI, VPD, total precipitation, mean daily precipitation, and e_a.TheR_s showed the least spatial variability at both scales. Annual-scale mean CV (0.21) was 7% greater than that the growing season (0.19). To the best of our knowl-edge, the analyses, information, and resources presented here are the first to quantify agricultural-zone-specific climate indicators during the growing season in Türkiye and are invaluable for decision-making on issues at the intersection of me-teorology, agriculture, water resources, and hydrology.