Remote sensing of the seasonal variability of vegetation in a semi-arid environment

Heike Schmidt; Arnon Karnieli

doi:10.1006/jare.1999.0607

Remote sensing of the seasonal variability of vegetation in a semi-arid environment

Heike Schmidt, Arnon Karnieli

The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

This case study assesses the use of satellite data to monitor the vegetation cover in two types of semi-arid environments - sand dune and rocky - located in the Negev Desert of Israel. In this study, satellite images acquired by NOAA/AVHRR over a time period of 2 years were analysed. The phenological spectral characteristics of vegetation in the two environments are very similar. Comparison between the AVHRR-derived NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values and rainfall data shows dependence of the NDVI values on the sum of the amount of rainfall during the concurrent month and the two previous months. Field observations show that the vegetation components in the two semi-arid environments respond to rainfall with a time lag. The satellite-observed peak of NDVI occurs at the same time as the peak of the delayed response of annuals and perennials to rainfall. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	43-59
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of Arid Environments
Volume	45
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.1999.0607
State	Published - 1 Jan 2000

Keywords

Biogenic crusts
NDVI
Negev Desert
Phenology
Satellite data analysis
Semi-arid vegetation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology
Earth-Surface Processes

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10.1006/jare.1999.0607

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title = "Remote sensing of the seasonal variability of vegetation in a semi-arid environment",

abstract = "This case study assesses the use of satellite data to monitor the vegetation cover in two types of semi-arid environments - sand dune and rocky - located in the Negev Desert of Israel. In this study, satellite images acquired by NOAA/AVHRR over a time period of 2 years were analysed. The phenological spectral characteristics of vegetation in the two environments are very similar. Comparison between the AVHRR-derived NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values and rainfall data shows dependence of the NDVI values on the sum of the amount of rainfall during the concurrent month and the two previous months. Field observations show that the vegetation components in the two semi-arid environments respond to rainfall with a time lag. The satellite-observed peak of NDVI occurs at the same time as the peak of the delayed response of annuals and perennials to rainfall. (C) 2000 Academic Press.",

keywords = "Biogenic crusts, NDVI, Negev Desert, Phenology, Satellite data analysis, Semi-arid vegetation",

author = "Heike Schmidt and Arnon Karnieli",

note = "Funding Information: We wish to thank Sveta Gilerman of the Remote Sensing Laboratory in Sede Boker for her assistance in processing NOAA/AVHRR data and Dr Charles Ichoku for editing the paper. The authors would like to thank the German MINERVA-Fellowship Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Program (DAAD) who financed this work with research fellowships. The work was partially funded by the International Arid Land Consortium (IALC). We also thank the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Minerva Arid Ecosystems Research Centre for giving us the opportunity to use the research site in Nizzana and for the rainfall data.",

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N2 - This case study assesses the use of satellite data to monitor the vegetation cover in two types of semi-arid environments - sand dune and rocky - located in the Negev Desert of Israel. In this study, satellite images acquired by NOAA/AVHRR over a time period of 2 years were analysed. The phenological spectral characteristics of vegetation in the two environments are very similar. Comparison between the AVHRR-derived NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values and rainfall data shows dependence of the NDVI values on the sum of the amount of rainfall during the concurrent month and the two previous months. Field observations show that the vegetation components in the two semi-arid environments respond to rainfall with a time lag. The satellite-observed peak of NDVI occurs at the same time as the peak of the delayed response of annuals and perennials to rainfall. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

AB - This case study assesses the use of satellite data to monitor the vegetation cover in two types of semi-arid environments - sand dune and rocky - located in the Negev Desert of Israel. In this study, satellite images acquired by NOAA/AVHRR over a time period of 2 years were analysed. The phenological spectral characteristics of vegetation in the two environments are very similar. Comparison between the AVHRR-derived NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) values and rainfall data shows dependence of the NDVI values on the sum of the amount of rainfall during the concurrent month and the two previous months. Field observations show that the vegetation components in the two semi-arid environments respond to rainfall with a time lag. The satellite-observed peak of NDVI occurs at the same time as the peak of the delayed response of annuals and perennials to rainfall. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

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Remote sensing of the seasonal variability of vegetation in a semi-arid environment

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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