Toward modeling vegetation boundaries and fragmentation in the African Miombo ecoregion

Lauren Lowman, Duke University, lel7@duke.edu (Presenter)
Ana Barros, Duke University, barros@duke.edu

Changes in regional climate and land use land cover (LULC) are expected for the most densely populated areas of the world. Given these projected changes, it is critical to understand the impacts of small disturbances in the form of climate and LULC change in tightly coupled land-atmosphere systems. The Angolan Miombo Woodlands (AMW) in Southern Africa is a region that presents a unique opportunity to understand the dynamics and sensitivities of these systems. The AMW comprises woodland savanna, tropical montane forests, grasslands, and complex transitional ecosystems from the Congo tropical rainforest to the Kalahari Desert, and is part of the larger Miombo Woodlands ecoregion, which encompasses both complex topography and hydrometeorology. An interesting feature of this area is the presence of natural boundary lines separating low and high density vegetation detected in satellite imagery, which cannot simply be explained in terms orographic precipitation gradients. We propose that such vegetation boundaries result from nonlinear interactions among climate, vegetation dynamics, soil moisture and groundwater processes modulated by topography and regional hydrogeology. The goal of the research is to understand: 1) how breaks in vegetation develop and persist in terms of hydroclimate, including orographic precipitation regimes, surface-groundwater interactions, and fire activity; 2) how the presence of vegetation boundaries impact the water and carbon cycle in the AMW; and 3) develop criteria to determine a region’s propensity to develop vegetation boundaries. We will present plans to adapt an established 3-D coupled surface-groundwater eco-hydrology model to simulate the unique vegetative processes in this region and assess the seasonal and interannual variability of gross primary productivity, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, river discharge, and groundwater recharge at high spatial and temporal resolution. To demonstrate the model’s ability to reproduce key eco-hydrological processes, include vegetation transpiration and carbon assimilation, we will show recent results from the Southeast US.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  General Contributions   (Tue 4:35 PM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Related Activity: Related Activity or Previously Funded CC&E Activity not listed ...details

Poster Location ID: 184