Satellite observations show enhanced soil moisture use efficiency in global arid lands
Abstract
Dry lands represent the largest terrestrial biome on the planet and face increasing pressure from global change. It is frequently reported that three-fourth of world's dry lands are suffering from intensified desertification due to interactions between human activities and climate. Among dry lands, arid lands, broadly defined as areas where mean annual precipitation is less than half of potential evaporation, are comparatively less studied likely due to their sparse biota and low rates of biological activities.
This study presents the changing response of arid land leaf biomass to soil moisture using AVHRR leaf area index (LAI) and ESA's Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Soil Moisture observations between 1982 and 2011. The results indicate drier and warmer areas are producing higher LAI per until soil moisture in recent periods compared to earlier period of satellite data records. The results from this study combined with modelling approach can help our understanding of the key environmental factors that mediate arid land ecosystem productivity in the face of intensifying aridity under global change.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.H51M1656G
- Keywords:
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- 0476 Plant ecology;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 1812 Drought;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1813 Eco-hydrology;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1818 Evapotranspiration;
- HYDROLOGY