A worldwide wolverine distribution model based on late-spring snow cover from 2000-2006

This data publication contains raster datasets (GeoTiff format) developed using MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) classified satellite images for 24 April to 15 May from 2000 to 2006 to depict persistent snow cover occurring at the end of the wolverine's reproductive denning period throughout the circumboreal region. There are 3 grids contained in this package, each of which corresponds to a distinct portion of the region: (1) North America, (2) Scandinavia and Eurasia, and (3) Southern Europe. Each MODIS image was re-classified into 4 cover classes (snow, bare ground, cloud, night) for each of the 7 years. A portion of each daily MODIS image was typically obscured by clouds or, occasionally, by night. Generating cloud- and night-free images required compositing the 21 consecutive daily images from 24 April to 15 May. If grid cells were classified as bare ground for any day within this time period, they were retained as bare ground in the final coverage. This resulted in a final late-spring snow cover layer that was limited to areas with snow cover that persisted through 15 May. We then summed all annual snow layers for the 7-year period to create a coverage that depicted the number of years out of 7 that each pixel was classified as snow (hereafter, the late-spring snow coverage). Regions of persistent glaciation (e.g., Greenland), and arctic regions >=80° N latitude, were excluded from the late-spring snow coverage due to predictably consistent snow cover during that time of year.
These coverages were created for the purpose of investigating correlations between the geographic distribution of late-spring snow cover and the geographic distribution of wolverines throughout the circumboreal region during the period of time that encompasses the end of the wolverine's reproductive denning period.
The results of this research are presented in Copeland et al. (2010) and users of this raster dataset should refer to that publication for additional details. These data were published on 07/02/2024. Minor metadata updates were made on 07/30/2024.