Spatial patterns of long‐term vegetation greening and browning are consistent across multiple scales: Implications for monitoring land degradation

• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.3019
• Publication Date: 2018-05-19T22:13:53Z
• Authors: Karthik Murthy; Sumanta Bagchi
• Keywords: Desertification; Overgrazing; Spatial heterogeneity

Abstract Understanding spatial–temporal patterns of terrestrial vegetation response to climate change (long‐term greening/browning) is important for developing strategies mitigate degradation. Semiarid rangelands are especially susceptible degradation, which challenges wildlife conservation and human livelihoods that depend on livestock production. In the cold‐arid Trans‐Himalayan ecosystem (northern India), temperature increasing, it also becoming progressively wetter. Yet, counter‐intuitively, there widespread concerns over We evaluated whether greening/browning in long‐term satellite‐derived indices (normalized difference index [NDVI]) consistent across different spatial temporal scales using 6 datasets: MODIS (250 m, 500 1 km, 5.5 km), SPOT GIMMS 8 km. Results indicate browning spring greening late summer. Location hotspots degradation (browning) was broadly (10 −2 –10 2 km ) were found regions with warmer at higher elevations. Broadly, spatial/temporal pattern does not coincide strongly location timing land use via grazing. This geographical seasonal context indicates may be more related than (overgrazing). Importantly, dynamic nature greening/browning, space time, captured by composite annual metrics (sum‐NDVI, max‐NDVI, mean‐NDVI). reiterates importance both intraannual interannual assessments. occurs a spatially contiguous manner, but these stationary instead shift seasons. Overall, results show evaluating consistency trends critical understanding managing