Abstract: [Objective]In the context of the global warming, the annual mean surface temperature in China has significantly increased during the past 100 years, being with slightly greater magnitude of temperature increase than that of the globe. The Scheffer index, a parameter calculated with basic climate data on monthly temperature and rainfall, has been proved to be a reasonably useful tool to predict the effects of continent-wide variations in climate on the potential for wood decay. This paper investigated the changes of the Scheffer index value from new 10-year climate data in China, to estimate the climate warming impact on the wood decay and termites hazard zone classifications in China. [Method]The Scheffer index values were calculated with two group climate data (mean monthly temperature and number of days in month with at least 0.1 mm of precipitation)from 2004 to 2013 by 194 reference stations and automatic meteorological observation stations in China, compared with the values from 1996 to 2005. The new China wood decay hazard map based on these updated Scheffer index values was taken. According to the termite species and the damage degree on wood, the China termite hazard zones map was drawn.[Result]The new Scheffer index values of 149 sites out of 194 sites are higher than the published values, except for lower values in 36 sites and remaining unchanged in 9 sites nationwide. The new China wood decay hazard map based on these updated Scheffer index values in this paper showed that the boundaries of decay hazard classifications moved northward. According to the termite species and the damage degree on wood, the China termite hazard zones were divided into low, medium, and high categories. Reticulitermes spp. found at Gongzhuling, Jilin Province rewrote the northern boundary of termite distribution. The integrated of wood decay zones map and termite hazard zones map proposed for four wood decay and termite hazard zones, including low, medium, high and severe zones.[Conclusion]Such changes in climate data were consistent with the scientific consensus that the global climate has been changing. The increased decay index values for most of China meteorological stations and the northward moved boundaries of wood decay and termite hazard classification zones suggest that protect measures for wood against decay and termite should be improved.

Key words: Scheffer's climate index, wood decay hazard zones, wood termite hazard zones, northward movement, climate change in China