Deciding which climate variables to present

[beckybanbury]

"We tested relationships of each C flux (Table 2) against each climate variable (Table S1), but focus presentation--including focal hypotheses (Table 1)--on climate variables that explained >20% of variation in C fluxes."

We need to make this clearer/more specific. We focused hypotheses more on key variables of interest than on % variation explained (e.g. inclusion of MAP/ seasonality in precipitation do not explain large quantities of variation); however we did disregard certain variables that we tested (e.g. aridity, cloud cover) because they explained so little variation.

How does the following work?:

"We tested relationships of each C flux (Table 2) against each climate variable (Table S1), but focus hypotheses on commonly studied variables relating primarily to temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and vapour pressure. Variables which were not significant explanatory variables or which explained <20% of variation in C fluxes are only presented in SI."

[teixeirak]

Is this phrase necessary?:

"but focus hypotheses on commonly studied variables relating primarily to temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and vapour pressure"

I wouldn't say all of our variables are commonly studied.

[beckybanbury]

so just "We tested relationships of each C flux (Table 2) against each climate variable (Table S1). Variables which were not significant explanatory variables or which explained <20% of variation in C fluxes are only presented in SI." ?

[teixeirak]

yes, that's good (assuming that works with what we show).