Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index

Mingzhu He; John S. Kimball; Steven Running; Ashley Ballantyne; Kaiyu Guan; Fred Huemmrich

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019

Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index

Mingzhu He
, John S. Kimball
, Steven Running
, Ashley Ballantyne
, Kaiyu Guan
, Fred Huemmrich

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

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Satellite remote sensing provides continuous observations of vegetation properties that can be used to estimate global terrestrial ecosystem gross primary production (GPP). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has been shown to be sensitive to vegetation photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), GPP and canopy water-stress. Here, we use the NASA EOS MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) based PRI with eddy covariance CO₂ flux measurements and meteorological observations from 20 tower sites representing major plant functional type (PFT) classes within the continental USA (CONUS) to assess GPP sensitivity to soil moisture related water stress. The sPRI (scaled PRI) metric derived using MODIS band 13 as a reference channel (sPRI₁₃) shows generally higher correspondence with tower GPP estimates than other potential MODIS reference bands. The sPRI₁₃ observations were used as a proxy for soil moisture related water supply constraints to LUE within a satellite data driven terrestrial carbon flux model to estimate GPP (GPP_PRI). The GPP_PRI calculations show generally favorable correspondence with tower GPP estimates (0.457 ≤ R² ≤ 0.818), except for lower GPP_PRI performance over evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) sites. A regional model sensitivity analysis using the sPRI₁₃ as a water supply proxy indicated that water restrictions limit GPP over more than 21% of the CONUS domain, particularly in drier climate areas where atmospheric moisture deficits (VPD) alone are insufficient to represent both atmosphere demand and water supply controls affecting productivity. Our results indicate strong potential of the MODIS sPRI₁₃ to represent soil moisture related water supply controls influencing photosynthesis, with enhanced (1-km resolution) delineation of these processes closer to the scale of in situ tower observations. These observations may provide an effective tool for characterizing sub-grid spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture related controls that inform coarser scale observations and estimates determined from other satellite observations and earth system models.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	173-183
Number of pages	11
Journal	Remote Sensing of Environment
Volume	186
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019
State	Published - Dec 1 2016

Funding

This study was performed at the University of Montana with funding provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NNX15AB59G , NNX14AI50G ). This work used eddy covariance data acquired by the FLUXNET community and in particular by the following networks: AmeriFlux (U.S. Department of Energy, Biological and Environmental Research, Terrestrial Carbon Program (DE-FG02-04ER63917 and DE-FG02-04ER63911). We acknowledge the financial support to the eddy covariance data harmonization provided by CarboEuropeIP , FAO-GTOS-TCO , iLEAPS , Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry , National Science Foundation , University of Tuscia , Université Laval , Environment Canada and U.S. Department of Energy and the database development and technical support from Berkeley Water Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Microsoft Research eScience, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of California – Berkeley and the University of Virginia.

Funders	Funder number
1443108, 1633831
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of California at Berkeley
Université Laval

Keywords

Gross primary production (GPP)
MODIS
Photochemical reflectance index (PRI)
Soil moisture
TCF LUE model

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019

Cite this

@article{4a43a9d708b54f6b94b708ac20afba3e,

title = "Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index",

abstract = "Satellite remote sensing provides continuous observations of vegetation properties that can be used to estimate global terrestrial ecosystem gross primary production (GPP). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has been shown to be sensitive to vegetation photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), GPP and canopy water-stress. Here, we use the NASA EOS MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) based PRI with eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements and meteorological observations from 20 tower sites representing major plant functional type (PFT) classes within the continental USA (CONUS) to assess GPP sensitivity to soil moisture related water stress. The sPRI (scaled PRI) metric derived using MODIS band 13 as a reference channel (sPRI13) shows generally higher correspondence with tower GPP estimates than other potential MODIS reference bands. The sPRI13 observations were used as a proxy for soil moisture related water supply constraints to LUE within a satellite data driven terrestrial carbon flux model to estimate GPP (GPPPRI). The GPPPRI calculations show generally favorable correspondence with tower GPP estimates (0.457 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.818), except for lower GPPPRI performance over evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) sites. A regional model sensitivity analysis using the sPRI13 as a water supply proxy indicated that water restrictions limit GPP over more than 21\% of the CONUS domain, particularly in drier climate areas where atmospheric moisture deficits (VPD) alone are insufficient to represent both atmosphere demand and water supply controls affecting productivity. Our results indicate strong potential of the MODIS sPRI13 to represent soil moisture related water supply controls influencing photosynthesis, with enhanced (1-km resolution) delineation of these processes closer to the scale of in situ tower observations. These observations may provide an effective tool for characterizing sub-grid spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture related controls that inform coarser scale observations and estimates determined from other satellite observations and earth system models.",

keywords = "Gross primary production (GPP), MODIS, Photochemical reflectance index (PRI), Soil moisture, TCF LUE model",

author = "Mingzhu He and Kimball, \{John S.\} and Steven Running and Ashley Ballantyne and Kaiyu Guan and Fred Huemmrich",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2016",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019",

language = "English",

volume = "186",

pages = "173--183",

journal = "Remote Sensing of Environment",

issn = "0034-4257",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index

AU - He, Mingzhu

AU - Kimball, John S.

AU - Running, Steven

AU - Ballantyne, Ashley

AU - Guan, Kaiyu

AU - Huemmrich, Fred

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - Satellite remote sensing provides continuous observations of vegetation properties that can be used to estimate global terrestrial ecosystem gross primary production (GPP). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has been shown to be sensitive to vegetation photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), GPP and canopy water-stress. Here, we use the NASA EOS MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) based PRI with eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements and meteorological observations from 20 tower sites representing major plant functional type (PFT) classes within the continental USA (CONUS) to assess GPP sensitivity to soil moisture related water stress. The sPRI (scaled PRI) metric derived using MODIS band 13 as a reference channel (sPRI13) shows generally higher correspondence with tower GPP estimates than other potential MODIS reference bands. The sPRI13 observations were used as a proxy for soil moisture related water supply constraints to LUE within a satellite data driven terrestrial carbon flux model to estimate GPP (GPPPRI). The GPPPRI calculations show generally favorable correspondence with tower GPP estimates (0.457 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.818), except for lower GPPPRI performance over evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) sites. A regional model sensitivity analysis using the sPRI13 as a water supply proxy indicated that water restrictions limit GPP over more than 21% of the CONUS domain, particularly in drier climate areas where atmospheric moisture deficits (VPD) alone are insufficient to represent both atmosphere demand and water supply controls affecting productivity. Our results indicate strong potential of the MODIS sPRI13 to represent soil moisture related water supply controls influencing photosynthesis, with enhanced (1-km resolution) delineation of these processes closer to the scale of in situ tower observations. These observations may provide an effective tool for characterizing sub-grid spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture related controls that inform coarser scale observations and estimates determined from other satellite observations and earth system models.

AB - Satellite remote sensing provides continuous observations of vegetation properties that can be used to estimate global terrestrial ecosystem gross primary production (GPP). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has been shown to be sensitive to vegetation photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), GPP and canopy water-stress. Here, we use the NASA EOS MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) based PRI with eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements and meteorological observations from 20 tower sites representing major plant functional type (PFT) classes within the continental USA (CONUS) to assess GPP sensitivity to soil moisture related water stress. The sPRI (scaled PRI) metric derived using MODIS band 13 as a reference channel (sPRI13) shows generally higher correspondence with tower GPP estimates than other potential MODIS reference bands. The sPRI13 observations were used as a proxy for soil moisture related water supply constraints to LUE within a satellite data driven terrestrial carbon flux model to estimate GPP (GPPPRI). The GPPPRI calculations show generally favorable correspondence with tower GPP estimates (0.457 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.818), except for lower GPPPRI performance over evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) sites. A regional model sensitivity analysis using the sPRI13 as a water supply proxy indicated that water restrictions limit GPP over more than 21% of the CONUS domain, particularly in drier climate areas where atmospheric moisture deficits (VPD) alone are insufficient to represent both atmosphere demand and water supply controls affecting productivity. Our results indicate strong potential of the MODIS sPRI13 to represent soil moisture related water supply controls influencing photosynthesis, with enhanced (1-km resolution) delineation of these processes closer to the scale of in situ tower observations. These observations may provide an effective tool for characterizing sub-grid spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture related controls that inform coarser scale observations and estimates determined from other satellite observations and earth system models.

KW - Gross primary production (GPP)

KW - MODIS

KW - Photochemical reflectance index (PRI)

KW - Soil moisture

KW - TCF LUE model

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84989858426

U2 - 10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019

DO - 10.1016/j.rse.2016.08.019

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84989858426

SN - 0034-4257

VL - 186

SP - 173

EP - 183

JO - Remote Sensing of Environment

JF - Remote Sensing of Environment

ER -

Satellite detection of soil moisture related water stress impacts on ecosystem productivity using the MODIS-based photochemical reflectance index

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this