Abrupt shifts in phenology and vegetation productivity under climate extremes

Ma, X; Huete, A; Moran, S; Ponce-Campos, G; Eamus, D

Abrupt shifts in phenology and vegetation productivity under climate extremes

Ma, X

Huete, A

Moran, S Ponce-Campos, G Eamus, D

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 2015, 120 (10), pp. 2036 - 2052
Issue Date:: 2015-10-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ma, X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1499-8476	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Huete, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2809-2376	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Moran, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ponce-Campos, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Eamus, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-8040	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-05-25T19:19:39Z
dc.date.issued	2015-10-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 2015, 120 (10), pp. 2036 - 2052	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	2169-8953	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/37855
dc.description.abstract	©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Amplification of the hydrologic cycle as a consequence of global warming is predicted to increase climate variability and the frequency and severity of droughts. Recent large-scale drought and flooding over numerous continents provide unique opportunities to understand ecosystem responses to climatic extremes. In this study, we investigated the impacts of the early 21st century extreme hydroclimatic variations in southeastern Australia on phenology and vegetation productivity using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Enhanced Vegetation Index and Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Results revealed dramatic impacts of drought and wet extremes on vegetation dynamics, with abrupt between year changes in phenology. Drought resulted in widespread reductions or collapse in the normal patterns of seasonality such that in many cases there was no detectable phenological cycle during drought years. Across the full range of biomes examined, we found semiarid ecosystems to exhibit the largest sensitivity to hydroclimatic variations, exceeding that of arid and humid ecosystems. This result demonstrated the vulnerability of semiarid ecosystems to climatic extremes and potential loss of ecosystem resilience with future mega-drought events. A skewed distribution of hydroclimatic sensitivity with aridity is of global biogeochemical significance because it suggests that current drying trends in semiarid regions will reduce hydroclimatic sensitivity and suppress the large carbon sink that has been reported during recent wet periods (e.g., 2011 La Niña).	en_US
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP140102698
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/2015JG003144	en_US
dc.title	Abrupt shifts in phenology and vegetation productivity under climate extremes	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	10	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	120	en_US
utslib.for	0501 Ecological Applications	en_US
utslib.for	0607 Plant Biology	en_US
utslib.for	0404 Geophysics	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CAMGIS - Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial lnformation Systems
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	10	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	120	en_US

Abstract:

©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Amplification of the hydrologic cycle as a consequence of global warming is predicted to increase climate variability and the frequency and severity of droughts. Recent large-scale drought and flooding over numerous continents provide unique opportunities to understand ecosystem responses to climatic extremes. In this study, we investigated the impacts of the early 21st century extreme hydroclimatic variations in southeastern Australia on phenology and vegetation productivity using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Enhanced Vegetation Index and Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Results revealed dramatic impacts of drought and wet extremes on vegetation dynamics, with abrupt between year changes in phenology. Drought resulted in widespread reductions or collapse in the normal patterns of seasonality such that in many cases there was no detectable phenological cycle during drought years. Across the full range of biomes examined, we found semiarid ecosystems to exhibit the largest sensitivity to hydroclimatic variations, exceeding that of arid and humid ecosystems. This result demonstrated the vulnerability of semiarid ecosystems to climatic extremes and potential loss of ecosystem resilience with future mega-drought events. A skewed distribution of hydroclimatic sensitivity with aridity is of global biogeochemical significance because it suggests that current drying trends in semiarid regions will reduce hydroclimatic sensitivity and suppress the large carbon sink that has been reported during recent wet periods (e.g., 2011 La Niña).

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/37855