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Assessing the elevational synchronization in vegetation phenology across Northern Hemisphere mountain ecosystems under global warming

Yang, Chen ; Tian, Feng ; Jin, Hongxiao LU ; Fensholt, Rasmus ; Feng, Luwei and Tagesson, Torbern LU (2025) In Global and Planetary Change 252.
Abstract
In recent decades, changes in vegetation phenology have exhibited a tight coupling with global warming. Mountain ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change, with high elevations warming faster than lower areas. The inconsistent rate of temperature change across elevations may lead to synchronization of phenological patterns, reducing the differences in phenology timing between high and low elevations. In this study, we employ MODIS data spanning from 2001 to 2022 to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) as a function of elevation in the Northern Hemisphere mountain ecosystems. We find that 87 % of high-elevation areas experience a later SOS and 71... (More)
In recent decades, changes in vegetation phenology have exhibited a tight coupling with global warming. Mountain ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change, with high elevations warming faster than lower areas. The inconsistent rate of temperature change across elevations may lead to synchronization of phenological patterns, reducing the differences in phenology timing between high and low elevations. In this study, we employ MODIS data spanning from 2001 to 2022 to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) as a function of elevation in the Northern Hemisphere mountain ecosystems. We find that 87 % of high-elevation areas experience a later SOS and 71 % have an earlier EOS than low-elevation areas. And our analysis reveals a mixed pattern of elevational gradients for the temporal trends in both SOS and EOS, with approximately half of the study areas showing elevational synchronization, while the other half exhibiting asynchronization. Our findings suggest that temperature is the primary driver of spatial patterns of these elevation gradients, but the complex interplay between temperature and precipitation, combined with diverse responses to these changes for different land cover types, led to the observed mixed patterns of elevational synchronization in phenology. Future climate change is likely to further shift phenological patterns across elevations, affecting the structure and function of mountain ecosystems. Our findings on the variations in vegetation phenology across elevations are crucial for understanding mountain ecosystem responses to climate change. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Vegetation phenology, Mountain ecosystems, Elevational gradient, Elevational synchronization, Hopkin's bioclimatic law
in
Global and Planetary Change
volume
252
article number
104903
pages
12 pages
publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
1872-6364
DOI
10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104903
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
620ed933-1c95-4a93-a6c1-3eb032845b68
date added to LUP
2025-06-03 08:54:13
date last changed
2025-06-03 09:25:59
@article{620ed933-1c95-4a93-a6c1-3eb032845b68,
  abstract     = {{In recent decades, changes in vegetation phenology have exhibited a tight coupling with global warming. Mountain ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change, with high elevations warming faster than lower areas. The inconsistent rate of temperature change across elevations may lead to synchronization of phenological patterns, reducing the differences in phenology timing between high and low elevations. In this study, we employ MODIS data spanning from 2001 to 2022 to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) as a function of elevation in the Northern Hemisphere mountain ecosystems. We find that 87 % of high-elevation areas experience a later SOS and 71 % have an earlier EOS than low-elevation areas. And our analysis reveals a mixed pattern of elevational gradients for the temporal trends in both SOS and EOS, with approximately half of the study areas showing elevational synchronization, while the other half exhibiting asynchronization. Our findings suggest that temperature is the primary driver of spatial patterns of these elevation gradients, but the complex interplay between temperature and precipitation, combined with diverse responses to these changes for different land cover types, led to the observed mixed patterns of elevational synchronization in phenology. Future climate change is likely to further shift phenological patterns across elevations, affecting the structure and function of mountain ecosystems. Our findings on the variations in vegetation phenology across elevations are crucial for understanding mountain ecosystem responses to climate change.}},
  author       = {{Yang, Chen and Tian, Feng and Jin, Hongxiao and Fensholt, Rasmus and Feng, Luwei and Tagesson, Torbern}},
  issn         = {{1872-6364}},
  keywords     = {{Vegetation phenology; Mountain ecosystems; Elevational gradient; Elevational synchronization; Hopkin's bioclimatic law}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Global and Planetary Change}},
  title        = {{Assessing the elevational synchronization in vegetation phenology across Northern Hemisphere mountain ecosystems under global warming}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104903}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104903}},
  volume       = {{252}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}