Long-Term Detection of Global Vegetation Phenology from Satellite Instruments

Abstract

Vegetation phenology is the expression of the seasonal cycles of plant processes and their connections to climate change (temperature and precipitation). The timing of phenological events can be used to document and evaluate the effects of climate change on both individual plant species and vegetation communities. Thus, vegetation phenology (including shifts in the timing of bud burst, leaf development, senescence, and growing season length) is considered as one of the simplest and most effective indicators of climate change (IPCC, 2007). Long-term observing and recording of changes in plant phenology support efforts to understand trends in regional and global climate changes, to reconstruct past climate variations, to explore the magnitude of climate change impacts on vegetation growth, and to predict biological responses to future climate scenarios.