Satellite-observed shifts in C3/C4 abundance in Australian grasslands are associated with rainfall patterns

Species composition is a key determinant of grassland ecosystem function and resilience. Climate change is predicted to alter the distribution of cool season (C3) and warm season (C4) grasses, however, the lack of spatial distributions and temporal variations of grass functional type information sev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote sensing of environment 2022-05, Vol.273, p.112983, Article 112983
Main Authors: Xie, Qiaoyun, Huete, Alfredo, Hall, Christopher C., Medlyn, Belinda E., Power, Sally A., Davies, Janet M., Medek, Danielle E., Beggs, Paul J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annual rainfall
Annual variations
Atmospheric models
C3 grasses
C4 grasses
Climate change
Climate models
Climate prediction
Climatic analysis
Climatic conditions
Community composition
Composition
Cool season
Energy transfer
Fluctuations
Future climates
Grasses
Grasslands
Growing season
Pasture
Phenology
Rainfall
Rainfall patterns
Range management
Rangelands
Remote sensing
Satellite observation
Spatial distribution
Species composition
Temporal variations
Vegetation index
Warm seasons
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Summary:Species composition is a key determinant of grassland ecosystem function and resilience. Climate change is predicted to alter the distribution of cool season (C3) and warm season (C4) grasses, however, the lack of spatial distributions and temporal variations of grass functional type information severely limits our understanding of climate impacts on grasslands. This study classified C3 and C4 grasses per pixel according to the peak of growing season generated from Enhanced Vegetation Index time series. From 2003 to 2017, the C3-C4 composition of Australian rain-fed grasslands and pastures was mapped at 500 m resolution on an annual basis across a wide geographical range (10°S – 45°S), and revealed extreme inter-annual fluctuations. Over the 15-year period, the satellite-derived ratio of C4 to C3 grasses significantly increased (p 
ISSN:0034-4257
1879-0704
DOI:10.1016/j.rse.2022.112983