The Geographic Uniqueness of the Sierra Nevada in the Context of the Mid-Latitude Mountains

Oliva, Marc; Fernández‐Fernández, José M.; Martín-Díaz, Jordi

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-94219-9_1

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…This study also benefits from the prevalence of clear skies in the study area [55]. Sierra Nevada has a fragile environment and has undergone substantial changes over the years [56]. Thus, it has been a scientific research hotspot, including studies focused on snow dynamics [57,58], hydrology [59,60], climate [61], ecosystems [62], and solar radiation [41].…”

Section: A Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Topographic Effects on Kilometer-Scale Satellite Downward Shortwave Radiation Products: A Case Study in Mid-Latitude Mountains

Ma,

He,

Aguilar

et al. 2024

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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Downward shortwave radiation (DSR) is critical to many surface processes, and many satellite-derived DSR products have been released. Few studies have validated DSR over mountains where it is highly heterogeneous and so the shortwave flux measured at ground stations does not match kilometer-scale DSR products. To tackle this challenge, we used a high spatial resolution (30 m) daily DSR over Sierra Nevada, Spain for 2008-2015, and a mountainous radiative transfer model to explore how topographic effects impacted the performances of DSR products. Four widely-used satellite products were selected as proxies for our evaluation: (i) MCD18A1 V6.1 (with a spatial resolution of 1 km); (ii) MSG DSR (~ 3.3 km); (iii) GLASS DSR V42 (0.05°); and(iv) BESS DSR (0.05°). There are three main findings under clear skies. Firstly, the product accuracies were slope-dependent, decreasing by 59.8-134.6% with slope ≥ 25° compared to areas with slope < 10°. Secondly, the product accuracies were aspectdependent, exhibiting a higher degree of overestimation (i.e., average of 27.6 W/m² ) on the north side and underestimation (i.e., average of -1.3 W/m² ) on the south side. Thirdly, and finally, the product accuracies were time-dependent, exhibiting seasonal variations and pronounced overestimation in summer (i.e., 8.8 to 18.2 W/m² ). Moreover, the impact of topography decreased with increasing cloud cover. Our findings can be applied to various mountainous areas due to the same mechanism of how topography influences the DSR estimation. This study corroborates the substantial uncertainties of the current DSR products in mountains and the necessity of incorporating topographic information into DSR estimations.

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Section: A Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Topographic Effects on Kilometer-Scale Satellite Downward Shortwave Radiation Products: A Case Study in Mid-Latitude Mountains

Ma,

He,

Aguilar

et al. 2024

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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An evaluation of freshwater monitoring programs in ILTER nodes and mountain national parks: identifying key variables to monitor global change effects

et al. 2022

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Identifying and quantifying global change impacts on biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems is critical to promote an effective adaptation that increases the success of conservation strategies. To achieve this goal, global and regional assessment efforts require certain degree of harmonization on local monitoring programs to establish relevant comparisons at different spatio-temporal scales. Otherwise, the lack of harmonization might hinder the detection and assessment on the effects of human impacts. In this work we have compiled information on freshwater monitoring programs located in areas of intensive research and conservation interest: International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) nodes and mountain National Parks. We aimed at evaluating the quality and robustness of these programs to assess the impact of global change, addressing from the worldwide to the European and Spanish national scale. Results highlighted that freshwater monitoring programs lack a common strategy to monitor these ecosystems. Even at the continental and national scales, contrasting strategies and level of detail have been historically applied. Water quality, habitat and biodiversity are more commonly monitored than community structure and ecosystem functioning. Monitoring efforts on the Spanish Mountain National parks indicated differences on the targeted aquatic ecosystems. Rivers and lakes received a higher attention, while mires were rarely considered. Our results provide evidence that greater efforts should be directed towards constructing a coordinated strategy to monitor freshwater ecosystems at national, continental, and global scales. This strategy should involve a shared backbone of biophysical and biogeochemical variables for each habitat type on agreed protocols that are implemented across regions and administrative borders. Achieving this will support a substantial advance on the ecological research to further delineate proper conservation strategies to face the challenges imposed by global change.

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The Geographic Uniqueness of the Sierra Nevada in the Context of the Mid-Latitude Mountains

Cited by 2 publications

References 17 publications

Evaluating Topographic Effects on Kilometer-Scale Satellite Downward Shortwave Radiation Products: A Case Study in Mid-Latitude Mountains

Evaluating Topographic Effects on Kilometer-Scale Satellite Downward Shortwave Radiation Products: A Case Study in Mid-Latitude Mountains

An evaluation of freshwater monitoring programs in ILTER nodes and mountain national parks: identifying key variables to monitor global change effects

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