VQ2. Ecosystem Function, Physiology, and VQ2. Ecosystem Function, Physiology, and Seasonal ActivitySeasonal Activity
Susan L. Ustin
Department of Land, Air and Water Resources
University of California Davis
August 2009
VQ2 Overarching Question:
What are the seasonal expressions and cycles for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, functional
groups, and diagnostic species?
How are these being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?
Decadal Survey: Strategic Role of Ecosystem Observations:Observing Conditions and Trends Predicting TrajectoriesManaging Events
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are ecosystems being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are ecosystems being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
0
200
400
600
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007Area (ha)
(a) Area covered = 134.9ha
2003
2003 2004 2005
2006 2007 Effective treatment
Herbicide application areas
SAV classification
Submerged aquatic vegetation (HyMap data Submerged aquatic vegetation (HyMap data –– June) June)
Seasonal Changes in Submerged aquatic vegetation Seasonal Changes in Submerged aquatic vegetation in the Sacramentoin the Sacramento‐‐San Joaquin DeltaSan Joaquin Delta
June 2005 October 2005
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are these being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
Seasonal Vegetation Dynamics at Jasper Seasonal Vegetation Dynamics at Jasper Ridge Biological Field Station, CaliforniaRidge Biological Field Station, California
Ustin et al. 1999. in Remote Sensing Change Detection: Environmental Monitoring Applications and Methods, Pp. 163‐180
Field Based Map
DEM
Evergreen ForestChaparral
GrasslandGrassland
WaterDeciduous Forest
June
September October
Green VegResidueSoil
Green VegResidueSoil
Green VegResidueSoil
Potential Net Radiation in Different Functional Types
AVIRIS SMA Fraction Images
Monthly MODIS CWC for Continental U.S. in 2005
□ no data
2000 2001 2002
2003 2004 2005
2006 2007 Deviation from mean CWC (%)<-80
-80 to -60-60 to -40-40 to -20-20 to 00 to 2020 to 4040 to 6060 to 80>80State of California boundary
Low
High
Regional-San Diego Wildfires September 2007: CWC
Trabucco et al. unpublished■ no data
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are these being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
NDVI and Corresponding monthly flux tower data
NDVI isn’t predictive of the net CO2 flux
NDVI image March/April 2007
Donatella Zona et al.In prep.
NDVI image August 2007
ND
VI
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Site
Sher
man
Tonz
i
Vaira
Blo
dget
t
Jasp
er
CO
2 flux (mm
olm-2d -1)
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
200
a)
b)
NDVI and Corresponding monthly flux tower data
NDVI isn’t predictive of the net CO2 flux
Donatella Zona et al.In prep.
Scaling Fluxes to Region: Land Cover Classification
TonziVairaJasper RidgeSherman IslandBlodgett Forest unclassified % of Class in Image
March-April
SAM classification AVIRIS trained of 5 eddy flux tower footprint classes
Scaling Fluxes to Region: Land Cover Classification
% of Class in Image
TonziVairaJasper RidgeSherman IslandBlodgett Forest unclassified
August
Mapping Invasive Species: Co‐occurrence of multiple phenologic stages
June: Water hyacinth with short rounded leaves
Summer: Water hyacinth: flowering
August: Water hyacinth with vertical leaves
October: Senescent foliage February: Water hyacinth residue
Floating Species
Challenges: Water hyacinth is spectrally similar: •co‐occurring floating & emergent species•sunlit portions of tree crowns•multiple phenological stages at any acquisition time
Pennywort (gold) Water Hyacinth (yellow green)
Refle
ctance (*
10,00
0)
Wavelength (µm)
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are these being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
ET estimated using ET estimated using MASTER data and SEBSMASTER data and SEBS
Low ET High ET
almonds
Pistachios
Nandita Gaur, SARP student 2009
Max. Irrigation
Agriculture and Water Demand
Biological soil crust under simulated Biological soil crust under simulated climate changeclimate change
False Color Infrared
~3m spatial resolution
MNF TransformMNF Band 4MNF Band 5MNF Band 9
Summer irrigation, nitrogen, and disturbance treatments simulate predicted climate and
environmental change conditions
Irrigation & DisturbanceIrrigation Disturbance & Nitrogen
Lichen cover Lichen cover vsvs global change global change treatmenttreatment
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0 0.4 0.8 1.2
CR
Lich
enLi
chen
cov
er
Continuum removal of Chl Feature
Control
Irrigation
Disturbance
Nitrogen
Irrigation + Nitrogen
Ustin et al., RSE 2009
VQ2 Thematic Subquestions
VQ2a: How are these being altered by changes in climate, land use, and disturbance?VQ2b: How are seasonal patterns of ecosystem function being affected by climate change?VQ2c: How do changes in phenology affect productivity, carbon sequestration, and hydrological processes across ecosystems and agriculture?VQ2d: How do environmental stresses affect the seasonality of the physiological function of water and carbon exchanges within ecosystems?VQ2e:What is the seasonality and environmental impact of algal blooms in shallow water environments?
Field data pointsLIFEFORM
G SAV
G emergentG water
Hyacinth 2006
SAV
waterways
0 1 2 3 40.5Km
June 2005SAV Presence/absence
NDVI
Spray Tracks
SAV Density
Venice cutVenice cut
June 2005
Oct. 2005
Sacramento-San JoaquinDelta
Interannual Spread of SAV
Maria Joao Santos et al., in prep.