These isoscapes are based on biophysical models of leaf water isotopic enrichment that are executed in a GIS modeling framework.
Using spatially continuous data layers and relatively simple models of leaf water isotopic enrichment in a GIS framework, we produced global, spatially continuous leaf water isotope landscapes (isoscapes).
Non-independence of species data due to phylogenetic relatedness results in conventional, non-phylogenetic models of leaf trait-climate relationships underestimating the true uncertainty in estimates of paleotemperature from leaf traits.
It is important to note that non-steady state models of leaf water enrichment have been described [23] and have important explanatory power in some cases [c.f.24], [25].
These results demonstrate that relatively simple models of leaf water enrichment combined with spatially continuous precipitation isotope ratio and climate data layers yield accurate global leaf water estimates applicable to important questions in ecology and atmospheric science.
In order to make global, spatially continuous predictions for leaf water stable isotope ratios, we implemented these mechanistic models of leaf water enrichment in ArcGIS software (ESRI Corporation, Redlands, CA).
