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Ecology

Vegetation's responses to climate variability

Nature volume 531, pages 181–182 (2016)Cite this article

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Satellite data have allowed scientists to generate a quantitative model to assess the response rates of different ecosystems to climate variability. The index provides a tool for comparing regional sensitivity and resilience. See Letter p.229

Space offers a unique vantage point from which to investigate the sensitivity of Earth's ecosystems to climate variability. In this issue, Seddon et al.1 (page 229) use 14 years of satellite observations from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to obtain monthly data on the responses of vegetation to variability in water availability, cloudiness and air temperature. The researchers then applied a new empirical tool — the vegetation sensitivity index — to identify ecologically sensitive areas that exhibit either amplified or slowed responses to climate variability in comparison to other regions. They use their findings to begin to explore why some regions seem to be more vulnerable than others.

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Figure 1: Vulnerable to variability.

Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfredo Huete is in the Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia.,

    Alfredo Huete

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  1. Alfredo Huete
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Correspondence to Alfredo Huete.

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Huete, A. Vegetation's responses to climate variability. Nature 531, 181–182 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature17301

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