Temporal changes in coupled vegetation phenology and productivity are biome-specific in the Northern Hemisphere
Wang, Lanhui LU
and Fensholt, Rasmus
(2017)
In Remote Sensing
9(12).
- Abstract
Global warming has greatly stimulated vegetation growth through both extending the growing season and promoting photosynthesis in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Analyzing the combined dynamics of such trends can potentially improve our current understanding on changes in vegetation functioning and the complex relationship between anthropogenic and climatic drivers. This study aims to analyze the relationships (long-term trends and correlations) of length of vegetation growing season (LOS) and vegetation productivity assessed by the growing season NDVI integral (GSI) in the NH ( > 30°N) to study any dependency of major biomes that are characterized by different imprint from anthropogenic influence. Spatial patterns of... (More)
Global warming has greatly stimulated vegetation growth through both extending the growing season and promoting photosynthesis in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Analyzing the combined dynamics of such trends can potentially improve our current understanding on changes in vegetation functioning and the complex relationship between anthropogenic and climatic drivers. This study aims to analyze the relationships (long-term trends and correlations) of length of vegetation growing season (LOS) and vegetation productivity assessed by the growing season NDVI integral (GSI) in the NH ( > 30°N) to study any dependency of major biomes that are characterized by different imprint from anthropogenic influence. Spatial patterns of converging/diverging trends in LOS and GSI and temporal changes in the coupling between LOS and GSI are analyzed for major biomes at hemispheric and continental scales from the third generation Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling Studies (GIMMS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dataset for a 32-year period (1982-2013). A quarter area of the NH is covered by converging trends (consistent significant trends in LOS and GSI), whereas diverging trends (opposing significant trends in LOS and GSI) cover about 6% of the region. Diverging trends are observed mainly in high latitudes and arid/semi-arid areas of non-forest biomes (shrublands, savannas, and grasslands), whereas forest biomes and croplands are primarily characterized by converging trends. The study shows spatially-distinct and biome-specific patterns between the continental land masses of Eurasia (EA) and North America (NA). Finally, areas of high positive correlation between LOS and GSI showed to increase during the period of analysis, with areas of significant positive trends in correlation being more widespread in NA as compared to EA. The temporal changes in the coupled vegetation phenology and productivity suggest complex relationships and interactions that are induced by both ongoing climate change and increasingly intensive human disturbances.
(Less)
- author
- Wang, Lanhui
LU
and Fensholt, Rasmus
- publishing date
- 2017-12-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- AVHRR GIMMS3g NDVI, Growing season integral, Length of growing season, Northern Hemisphere biomes, Phenology, Vegetation greenness/productivity
- in
- Remote Sensing
- volume
- 9
- issue
- 12
- article number
- 1277
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85038209945
- ISSN
- 2072-4292
- DOI
- 10.3390/rs9121277
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2017 by the author.
- id
- 93504fbb-386f-4fd6-ad57-1ae7033512e4
- date added to LUP
- 2025-05-16 09:28:30
- date last changed
- 2025-05-22 14:15:24
@article{93504fbb-386f-4fd6-ad57-1ae7033512e4,
abstract = {{<p>Global warming has greatly stimulated vegetation growth through both extending the growing season and promoting photosynthesis in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Analyzing the combined dynamics of such trends can potentially improve our current understanding on changes in vegetation functioning and the complex relationship between anthropogenic and climatic drivers. This study aims to analyze the relationships (long-term trends and correlations) of length of vegetation growing season (LOS) and vegetation productivity assessed by the growing season NDVI integral (GSI) in the NH ( > 30°N) to study any dependency of major biomes that are characterized by different imprint from anthropogenic influence. Spatial patterns of converging/diverging trends in LOS and GSI and temporal changes in the coupling between LOS and GSI are analyzed for major biomes at hemispheric and continental scales from the third generation Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling Studies (GIMMS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dataset for a 32-year period (1982-2013). A quarter area of the NH is covered by converging trends (consistent significant trends in LOS and GSI), whereas diverging trends (opposing significant trends in LOS and GSI) cover about 6% of the region. Diverging trends are observed mainly in high latitudes and arid/semi-arid areas of non-forest biomes (shrublands, savannas, and grasslands), whereas forest biomes and croplands are primarily characterized by converging trends. The study shows spatially-distinct and biome-specific patterns between the continental land masses of Eurasia (EA) and North America (NA). Finally, areas of high positive correlation between LOS and GSI showed to increase during the period of analysis, with areas of significant positive trends in correlation being more widespread in NA as compared to EA. The temporal changes in the coupled vegetation phenology and productivity suggest complex relationships and interactions that are induced by both ongoing climate change and increasingly intensive human disturbances.</p>}},
author = {{Wang, Lanhui and Fensholt, Rasmus}},
issn = {{2072-4292}},
keywords = {{AVHRR GIMMS3g NDVI; Growing season integral; Length of growing season; Northern Hemisphere biomes; Phenology; Vegetation greenness/productivity}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{12}},
number = {{12}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Remote Sensing}},
title = {{Temporal changes in coupled vegetation phenology and productivity are biome-specific in the Northern Hemisphere}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs9121277}},
doi = {{10.3390/rs9121277}},
volume = {{9}},
year = {{2017}},
}