The use of remote sensing for reliable estimation of net radiation and its components: a case study for contrasting land covers in an agricultural hotspot of the Brazilian semiarid region

Abstract

The use of remote sensing for reliable estimation of net radiation and its components: a case-study for contrasting land covers in an agricultural hotspot of the Brazilian semiarid region. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 291. 108052.

Environmental Drivers of Water Use for Caatinga Woody Plant Species: Combining Remote Sensing Phenology and Sap Flow Measurements

“…Figure 5a shows that the net radiation, R n , was relatively low between April and August. This is part of the dry and cooler period where shortwave and longwave incoming radiation are lower than during the wet period, while albedo and longwave outgoing radiation are relatively more frequent, as previously observed in the Caatinga [22,44]. R n remained approximately constant after September.…”

“…The use of RS is gaining importance as satellites provide low-cost products and images with increasing spatial and temporal resolutions. The advances in technology have allowed several RS vegetation indices (VIs) to be used, improving our understanding of temporal and spatial changes in plant communities [21][22][23]. The direct relationship between water use and phenological response observed by RS has been used in models that seek to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) and gross primary production [24], mainly through the use of empirical or semi-empirical parameterisations, taking advantage of vegetation indices such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) [25].…”

Restoration and Conservation of Priority Areas of Caatinga’s Semi-Arid Forest Remnants Can Support Connectivity within an Agricultural Landscape

“…Caatinga can be broadly classified into two types and we followed the classification that has previously been used [41,42], which divided Caatinga into (1) the dense hyperxerophyllous forest, which has a woody cover of approximately 60-80% (dense Caatinga); and (2) the open forest, which is characterized by being in different stages of development, featuring grasses and abandoned areas, and has a woody cover of approximately 20-60%. Natural open areas are common around rock formations and in the areas too dry to sustain trees [32].…”

“…In the early 1500s, Europeans settled in Caatinga and introduced cattle and goats [29] whilst introducing European diseases [30]. This led to the loss of nearly half of Caatinga's original vegetation cover to desertification, agricultural expansion, overgrazing of open areas, fuelwood extraction and hunting around European settlements, whilst the decline in megaherbivores may have further contributed to the homogenization of Caatinga and the reduction in naturally open areas [26,[31][32][33]. Despite Caatinga being considered a mosaic of open areas and dense woodlands, it is documented that the recent anthropogenic exploitation, introduction of exotic species, and climate change have been driving the general degradation of Caatinga [26,34,35].…”

“…The cities of Petrolina and Juazeiro within the Caatinga semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil lie at the center of an important agricultural region that has experienced major growth due to the development of irrigated agriculture for fruit exportation [37]. The construction of a dam on the São Francisco River in the early 1980s spurred land-use change, leading to multiple irrigation and agricultural development programs in the region [32,38]. In the São Francisco Valley, fruit growing is the main driving force behind economic growth in the region [39].…”