Using phenocams to monitor our changing Earth: toward a global phenocam network

Using phenocams to monitor our changing Earth: toward a global phenocam network

Rapid changes to the biosphere are altering ecological processes worldwide. Developing informed policies for mitigating the impacts of environmental change requires an exponential increase in the quantity, diversity, and resolution of field‐collected data, which, in turn, necessitates greater reli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2016-03, Vol.14 (2), p.84-93
Main Authors: Brown, Tim B, Kevin R Hultine, Heidi Steltzer, Ellen G Denny, Michael W Denslow, Joel Granados, Sandra Henderson, David Moore, Shin Nagai, Michael SanClements, Arturo Sánchez‐Azofeifa, Oliver Sonnentag, David Tazik, Andrew D Richardson
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
biosphere
cameras
carbon
environmental impact
European Union
global change
issues and policy
monitoring
phenology
REVIEWS
snowpack
technology
vegetation
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Summary:Rapid changes to the biosphere are altering ecological processes worldwide. Developing informed policies for mitigating the impacts of environmental change requires an exponential increase in the quantity, diversity, and resolution of field‐collected data, which, in turn, necessitates greater reliance on innovative technologies to monitor ecological processes across local to global scales. Automated digital time‐lapse cameras – “phenocams” – can monitor vegetation status and environmental changes over long periods of time. Phenocams are ideal for documenting changes in phenology, snow cover, fire frequency, and other disturbance events. However, effective monitoring of global environmental change with phenocams requires adoption of data standards. New continental‐scale ecological research networks, such as the US National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and the European Union's Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), can serve as templates for developing rigorous data standards and extending the utility of phenocam data through standardized ground‐truthing. Open‐source tools for analysis, visualization, and collaboration will make phenocam data more widely usable.
ISSN:1540-9295
1540-9309