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Free keywords:
GROWING-SEASON; SPRING PHENOLOGY; CLIMATE-CHANGE; TIME-SERIES; VEGETATION DYNAMICS; SURFACE PHENOLOGY; PLANT PHENOLOGY; LEAF PHENOLOGY;
HIGH-LATITUDES; SATELLITE DATARemote Sensing; Imaging Science & Photographic Technology; larch phenology; MODIS data; alpine region; topographic attributes;
phenological models;
Abstract:
In this study we analyze the spatial and temporal variability of European Larch phenological cycle in mountainous areas (Val d'Aosta, Italy) by using a combination of satellite data, primary topographic attributes (altitude and aspect) and phenological models driven by climatic variables. We apply a remote sensing technique based on a time series of MODIS TERRA 250m 16-days NDVI data for mapping the inter-annual variability of phenological cycle. Starting from the satellite green-up snaps we spatially explored the response of larch phenology at different terrain conditions varying for altitude and aspect. A retrospective analysis based on climate-driven phenological models was finally conducted to evaluate the magnitude of temporal variability of Larch phenology in the last century.
