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A recent greening of the Sahel - Trends, patterns and potential causes

Olsson, L ; Eklundh, Lars LU orcid and Ardö, Jonas LU orcid (2005) In Journal of Arid Environments 63(3). p.556-566
Abstract
For the last four decades there has been sustained scientific interest in contemporary environmental change in the Sahel (the southern fringe of the Sahara). It suffered several devastating droughts and famines between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Speculation about the climatology of these droughts is unresolved, as is speculation about the effects of land clearance on rainfall and about land degradation in this zone. However, recent findings suggest a consistent trend of increasing vegetation greenness in much of the region. Increasing rainfall over the last few years is certainly one reason, but does not fully explain the change. Other factors, such as land use change and migration, may also contribute. This study investigates the... (More)
For the last four decades there has been sustained scientific interest in contemporary environmental change in the Sahel (the southern fringe of the Sahara). It suffered several devastating droughts and famines between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Speculation about the climatology of these droughts is unresolved, as is speculation about the effects of land clearance on rainfall and about land degradation in this zone. However, recent findings suggest a consistent trend of increasing vegetation greenness in much of the region. Increasing rainfall over the last few years is certainly one reason, but does not fully explain the change. Other factors, such as land use change and migration, may also contribute. This study investigates the nature of a secular vegetation trend across the Sahel and discusses several potential causative factors. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
remote sensing, desertification, vegetation change, sahel, migration
in
Journal of Arid Environments
volume
63
issue
3
pages
556 - 566
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000231840600004
  • scopus:22244479726
ISSN
1095-922X
DOI
10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.03.008
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e7badaab-5cf2-4438-ba3f-14d9eefa3237 (old id 224131)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:16:04
date last changed
2022-04-21 04:58:47
@article{e7badaab-5cf2-4438-ba3f-14d9eefa3237,
  abstract     = {{For the last four decades there has been sustained scientific interest in contemporary environmental change in the Sahel (the southern fringe of the Sahara). It suffered several devastating droughts and famines between the late 1960s and early 1990s. Speculation about the climatology of these droughts is unresolved, as is speculation about the effects of land clearance on rainfall and about land degradation in this zone. However, recent findings suggest a consistent trend of increasing vegetation greenness in much of the region. Increasing rainfall over the last few years is certainly one reason, but does not fully explain the change. Other factors, such as land use change and migration, may also contribute. This study investigates the nature of a secular vegetation trend across the Sahel and discusses several potential causative factors.}},
  author       = {{Olsson, L and Eklundh, Lars and Ardö, Jonas}},
  issn         = {{1095-922X}},
  keywords     = {{remote sensing; desertification; vegetation change; sahel; migration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{556--566}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Arid Environments}},
  title        = {{A recent greening of the Sahel - Trends, patterns and potential causes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.03.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.03.008}},
  volume       = {{63}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}