Woodcock, Curtis: Boston University (Project Lead)
Friedl, Mark: Boston University (Co-Investigator)
Holden, Chris: Boston University (Post-Doc)
Melaas, Eli: Boston University (Post-Doc)
Wang, Jonathan (Jon): University of Utah (Student-Graduate)
Zhang, Yingtong: Boston University (Student-Graduate)
Project Funding:
2015 - 2019
NRA: 2014 NASA: Terrestrial Ecology
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
Boreal and arctic ecosystems are highly dynamic and spatially heterogeneous, and are undergoing rapid change in response to climate forcing. Understanding the nature, magnitude, and drivers behind these changes requires information that captures land cover dynamics at spatial scales that are ecological meaningful, and historical information that provides context for evaluating observed changes relative to historical variability. Landsat, which provides an archive of 30+ years and an ongoing record of well calibrated multispectral observations at 30 meter spatial resolution is ideally suited for this purpose. To exploit this capability and to address the need of ABOVE for high quality remote sensing data products that characterize spatio-temporal dynamics in land cover and ecological change, we propose to develop wall-to-wall products for the ABOVE domain based on Landsat data that provide historical and ongoing characterization of three key landscape attributes: (1) disturbance, (2) peak season greening and browning trends, and (3) growing season length. To accomplish this we will use state-of-the-art time series algorithms to generate a multi-dimensional, internally consistent data product that integrates all three of these ecologically critical quantities in a unified fashion at annual time steps. Results from this work will provide a 30+ year historical record and ongoing characterization of disturbance events (fires, pests, logging), lower frequency changes (greening/browning), and both short and long term changes in the phenology of ecosystems located in the ABOVE domain. Analysis of these datasets will lead to an improved understanding of the land cover dynamics in the ABoVE domain as well as trends in ecosystem response and disturbance as they relate to climate trends and variability.
Publications:
Melaas, E. K., Sulla-Menashe, D., Friedl, M. A. 2018. Multidecadal Changes and Interannual Variation in Springtime Phenology of North American Temperate and Boreal Deciduous Forests. Geophysical Research Letters. 45(6), 2679-2687. DOI: 10.1002/2017GL076933
Sulla-Menashe, D., Woodcock, C. E., Friedl, M. A. 2018. Canadian boreal forest greening and browning trends: an analysis of biogeographic patterns and the relative roles of disturbance versus climate drivers. Environmental Research Letters. 13(1), 014007. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9b88
Wang, J. A., Baccini, A., Farina, M., Randerson, J. T., Friedl, M. A. 2021. Disturbance suppresses the aboveground carbon sink in North American boreal forests. Nature Climate Change. 11(5), 435-441. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01027-4
Wang, J. A., Friedl, M. A. 2019. The role of land cover change in Arctic-Boreal greening and browning trends. Environmental Research Letters. 14(12), 125007. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ab5429
Wang, J. A., Sulla-Menashe, D., Woodcock, C. E., Sonnentag, O., Keeling, R. F., Friedl, M. A. 2019. Extensive land cover change across Arctic-Boreal Northwestern North America from disturbance and climate forcing. Global Change Biology. 26(2), 807-822. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14804
Zhang, Y., Woodcock, C. E., Chen, S., Wang, J. A., Sulla-Menashe, D., Zuo, Z., Olofsson, P., Wang, Y., Friedl, M. A. 2022. Mapping causal agents of disturbance in boreal and arctic ecosystems of North America using time series of Landsat data. Remote Sensing of Environment. 272, 112935. DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2022.112935
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
