Intermediate snowpack melt-out dates guarantee the highest seasonal grasslands greening in the Pyrenees

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22391-x
• Publication Date: 2022-10-31T18:10:39Z
• Authors: J. Revuelto; D. Gómez; E. Alonso-González; I. Vidaller; F. Rojas-Heredia; C. Deschamps-Berger; J. García-Jiménez; G. Rodríguez-López; J. Sobrino; R. Montorio; F. Perez-Cabello; J. I. López-Moreno
• Keywords: Snowpack; Snowmelt; Growing season

In mountain areas, the phenology and productivity of grassland are closely related to snow dynamics. However, influence that melt timing has on growing still needs further attention for a full understanding, particularly at high spatial resolution. Aiming reduce this knowledge gap, work exploits 1 m resolution depth Normalized Difference Vegetation Index observations acquired with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle sub-alpine site in Pyrenees. During two seasons (2019-2020 2020-2021), 14 NDVI 17 distributions were over 48 ha. Despite dynamics being different seasons, response grasslands greening melt-out exhibited very similar pattern both. The temporal evolution areas distinct dates reveals sectors where date occurs late April or early May (optimum melt-out) reach maximum vegetation productivity. Zones earlier later rarely peak values. results obtained study area, suggest about distribution is not needed understand analysis did reveal clear link between variability duration diversity richness communities within area.