Environmental and Human Controls of Ecosystem Functional Diversity in Temperate South America

Alcaraz‐Segura, Domingo; Paruelo, José M.; Epstein, Howard E.; Cabello, Javier

doi:10.3390/rs5010127

Cited by 49 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…For example, EFTs in high latitudes were shown to be controlled by temperature whereas EFTs in the arid and semi-arid areas were associated with water constraints of vegetation growth. We found a good correspondence of the global spatial pattern of these constraints within the EFTs and results of other authors on patterns of ecosystem-climate relationships (e.g., [29,32,44]). Nemani et al [29] showed that water availability strongly limits vegetation growth over 40% of Earth's vegetated surface, whereas temperature limits growth over 33% and radiation over 27%.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Recent decades have seen an increasing need for information on ecosystem functioning to evaluate the human impact on the environment [32]. A baseline characterization of ecosystem functioning is to be based on an up-to-date, effective and repeatable indicator system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The final PCA was run with the five variables loading highest on the first five rotated axes: Standing Biomass (SB), Cyclic Fraction (CF), the Maximum Day (MXD), the Season Length (SL) and the Permanent Fraction (PF) (Figure 1). Standing Biomass and Maximum Day have been used in other studies and are similar to EVI mean, NDVI sum and DMAX [10,32,33], while the other variables are new, extending the available set of phenological and productivity metrics in view of characterizing global EFTs. Some differences between the global distribution of the Standing Biomass as a productivity measure calculated in this study and spatial results from other productivity models (for a review see [48]) are partly due to the different nature of the methods.…”

Section: Statistical Screening Of the Phenological And Productivity Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, in the present study we aim at identifying global EFTs [12,[31][32][33][34] in order to supply ecosystem degradation studies relating actual to potential degradation with homogenous biophysical units such as the LNS method [8]. In our study, EFTs are defined as spatial units with similar patterns of seasonal phenology and productivity dynamics, also showing similar responses to changing natural and human induced environmental conditions following the ideas of Paruelo et al [12] and Stow et al [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lloyd [30] has proposed the use of remote sensing derived phenology for the description of ecosystem functioning whereas Soriano and Paruelo [31] proposed the classification of biozones for the assessment of EFTs based on the seasonal dynamics of vegetation indices derived from satellite observations. Using remote sensing for the evaluation of the functional components of the ecosystems and the characterisation of EFTs has been gaining importance in recent decades (see [32] for a thorough review).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Global Biogeographical Pattern of Ecosystem Functional Types Derived From Earth Observation Data

et al. 2013

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Abstract:The present study classified global Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) derived from seasonal vegetation dynamics of the GIMMS3g NDVI time-series. Rotated Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was run on the derived phenological and productivity variables, which selected the Standing Biomass (approximation of Net Primary Productivity), the Cyclic Fraction (seasonal vegetation productivity), the Permanent Fraction (permanent surface vegetation), the Maximum Day (day of maximum vegetation development) and the Season Length (length of vegetation growing season) variables, describing 98% of the variation in global ecosystems. EFTs were created based on Isodata classification of the spatial patterns of the Principal Components and were interpreted via gradient analysis using the selected remote sensing variables and climatic constraints (radiation, temperature, and water) of vegetation growth. The association of the EFTs with existing climate and land cover classifications was demonstrated via Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). The ordination indicated good description of the global environmental gradient by the EFTs, supporting the understanding of phenological and productivity dynamics of global ecosystems. Climatic constraints of vegetation growth explained 50% of variation in the phenological data along the EFTs showing that part of the variation in the global phenological gradient is not climate related but is unique to the Earth Observation derived variables. DCA demonstrated good correspondence of the EFTs to global climate and also to land use classification. The results show the great potential of Earth Observation derived OPEN ACCESS Remote Sens. 2013, 5 3306 parameters for the quantification of ecosystem functional dynamics and for providing reference status information for future assessments of ecosystem changes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Statistical Screening Of the Phenological And Productivity Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global Biogeographical Pattern of Ecosystem Functional Types Derived From Earth Observation Data

et al. 2013

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Estimating heterotrophic respiration at large scales: challenges, approaches, and next steps

et al. 2016

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Abstract. Heterotrophic respiration (HR), the aerobic and anaerobic processes mineralizing organic matter, is a key carbon flux but one impossible to measure at scales significantly larger than small experimental plots. This impedes our ability to understand carbon and nutrient cycles, benchmark models, or reliably upscale point measurements. Given that a new generation of highly mechanistic, genomicspecific global models is not imminent, we suggest that a useful step to improve this situation would be the development of "Decomposition Functional Types" (DFTs). Analogous to plant functional types (PFTs), DFTs would abstract and capture important differences in HR metabolism and flux dynamics, allowing modelers and experimentalists to efficiently group and vary these characteristics across space and time. We argue that DFTs should be initially informed by top-down expert opinion, but ultimately developed using bottom-up, data-driven analyses, and provide specific examples of potential dependent and independent variables that could be used. We present an example clustering analysis to show how annual HR can be broken into distinct groups associated with global variability in biotic and abiotic factors, and demonstrate that these groups are distinct from (but complementary to) already-existing PFTs. A similar analysis incorporating observational data could form the basis for future DFTs. Finally, we suggest next steps and critical priorities: collection and synthesis of existing data; more in-depth analyses combining open data with rigorous testing of analytical results; using point measurements and realistic forcing variables to constrain process-based models; and planning by the global modeling community for decoupling decomposition from fixed site data. These are all critical steps to build a foundation for DFTs in global models, thus providing the ecological and climate change communities with robust, scalable estimates of HR.

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Site‐specific modulators control how geophysical and socio‐technical drivers shape land use and land cover

Odgaard

Dalgaard

Bøcher

et al. 2018

Geography and Environment

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Human utilisation of natural resources is the most important direct driver of land cover patterns in the Anthropocene. Here, we present a conceptual framework for how the effects of geophysical drivers (e.g., topography, soil, climate, and hydrology) and socio‐technical drivers (e.g., technology, legal regulation, economy, and culture) on land use and land cover are shaped by site‐specific modulators such as local topography and social and cultural backgrounds of individuals. The framework is demonstrated by examples from the literature, with emphasis on the north‐western European lowland agricultural region. For example, a geophysical driver such as slope of the terrain constrains land use and is thereby an important driver of land covers, for example, forests. This effect of slope can vary depending on site‐specific modulators such as local soil fertility, local topographic heterogeneity, and shifting human population densities. Acknowledging the importance of site‐specific modulators on how geophysical and socio‐technical drivers shape land use and land covers will strengthen research on human–environmental interactions – especially important with the future increase in human populations in a constant changing world.

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Environmental and Human Controls of Ecosystem Functional Diversity in Temperate South America

Cited by 49 publications

References 84 publications

Global Biogeographical Pattern of Ecosystem Functional Types Derived From Earth Observation Data

Global Biogeographical Pattern of Ecosystem Functional Types Derived From Earth Observation Data

Estimating heterotrophic respiration at large scales: challenges, approaches, and next steps

Site‐specific modulators control how geophysical and socio‐technical drivers shape land use and land cover

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