Satellite-derived foresummer drought sensitivity of plant productivity in Rocky Mountain headwater catchments: spatial heterogeneity and geological-geomorphological control

• Published in: Environmental research letters Vol. 15; no. 8; pp. 84018 - 84027
• Main Authors: Wainwright, Haruko M, Steefel, Christoph, Trutner, Sarah D, Henderson, Amanda N, Nikolopoulos, Efthymios I, Wilmer, Chelsea F, Chadwick, K Dana, Falco, Nicola, Schaettle, Karl Bernard, Brown, James Bentley, Steltzer, Heidi, Williams, Kenneth H, Hubbard, Susan S, Enquist, Brian J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.08.2020
• Subjects: Catchments; Climate models; Climatic data; Drought; Elevation; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; foresummer drought sensitivity; Geology; Geomorphology; Heterogeneity; Hydrology; Landsat; Landsat satellites; Mountains; NDVI; Net radiation; Normalized difference vegetative index; Perturbation; Productivity; random forest; Remote sensing; Rocky Mountains; Sensitivity; Snowmelt; Spatial heterogeneity; Surface energy; Surface properties

Long-term plot-scale studies have found water limitation to be a key factor driving ecosystem productivity in the Rocky Mountains. Specifically, the intensity of early summer (the 'foresummer' period from May to June) drought conditions appears to impose critical controls on peak ecosystem...