Use of bioclimatic indices for characterization and sustainable agricultural management in Sancti Spíritus, Cuba

To evaluate the effect of climatic conditions on the agricultural management of a territory, it is necessary to have variables that can make this concept operational. Bioclimatic indices are analytical instruments that allow simplifying, quantifying and communicating the influence of climate on sustainability. The objective of this research was to define characteristics for sustainable agricultural management in the province of Sancti Spíritus through bioclimatic indices, focused on the main agricultural and livestock productions. Meteorological data on temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and relative humidity were collected from six meteorological stations located in Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila, from 1981 to 2020. The Rivas-Martínez thermic index (ITRM), Thornthwaite humidity (IH), Martonne aridity (AM), Dantin-Revenga thermopluviometric (DR) indices, and the modified Fournier indices (IMF) and precipitation concentration (ICP) were calculated. The ITRM records warm conditions for most of the province. The IH presents variations, fundamentally, in the subhumid categories; while the AM presented small changes as the Perhumid area increased. The DR defines humid forest vegetation in the mountainous areas, and subhumid for the rest of the province. Rainfall on the land is a potential cause of soil erosion and degradation, and the degree of seasonality increases this risk.