Hello from Geoff!

[bricka]

1. Change the colors to gray scale. Black is the lowest, white is the highest. Blur the whole thing. Drop it in Bryce or other 3D tool as a heightmap. You should be good to go.

Could it really be that easy? I'll give it a try.

2. Google "Earth Biosphere" you'll find exactly what you are looking for.

Maybe I should have said "calculate" rather than "deduce". I know enough about meteorology to understand how different climates develop and can work them out in general terms for a map. The problem is getting down to specifics, such as "how far north would a Mediterranean climate extend" and "how high do mountains have to be to block significant amounts of rainfall".