Global correlation of temperature, NDVI and precipitation

• DOI: 10.1016/0273-1177(93)90559-t
• Publication Date: 2002-11-11T17:05:19Z
• Authors: P.A. Schultz; M.S. Halpert
• Keywords: Longitude; Anomaly (physics); Annual cycle; Water cycle

Abstract Temporal correlations between NDVI, temperature and precipitation were computed to examine the spatial variability of the relationships between those parameters as well as to investigate the potential for the combined use of NDVI and temperature for global bioclimate monitoring. The monthly data were correlated at every cell of a 1° latitude by 1° longitude global continental grid using both the anomaly and standard (with annual cycle) time series. The onset of precipitation appears to generally act as the stimulus for vegetation in regions where the amplitude of the annual temperature cycle is small. In regions where the onset of the wet season is sudden, vegetation tends to lag behind precipitation. Vegetation in cold regions is shown to be limited by temperature, and by both precipitation and temperature in temperate regions. In relatively warm regions temperature generally plays little role in modulating the seasonal cycle of vegetation because temperature exceeds the minimum necessary for vegetative growth. Conversely, some extremely wet areas receive rainfall amounts in excess of a minimum precipitation threshold above which vegetation is unresponsive.