Abstract
Monthly composite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite sensor was used to reconstruct vegetation dynamics in response to climate patterns over the period 2001–05 for North America. Results imply that plant growth over extensive land areas were closely coupled to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on regional climate. Areas strongly tied to recent (2002–03) ENSO climate effects were located mainly in northwestern Canada, interior Alaska, the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States, and throughout northern Mexico. Localized variations in precipitation were detected as the predominant controllers of monthly values for the MODIS fraction absorbed of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) over these regions.
Multi-spatiotemporal heterogeneous legacy effects of climate on terrestrial vegetation dynamics in China
