pyveg: A Python package for analysing the time evolution of patterned vegetation using Google Earth Engine

Abstract

Periodic vegetation patterns (PVP) arise from the interplay between forces that drive the growth and mortality of plants. Inter-plant competition for resources, in particular water, can lead to the formation of PVP. Arid and semi-arid ecosystems may be under threat due to changing precipitation dynamics driven by macroscopic changes in climate. These regions display some noteable examples of PVP, for example the “tiger bush” patterns found in West Africa. The morphology of the periodic pattern has been suggested to be linked to the resilience of the ecosystem (Mander et al., 2017; Trichon et al., 2018). Using remote sensing techniques, vegetation patterns in these regions can be studied, and an analysis of the resilience of the ecosystem can be performed.