In this study, the relationship of above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) with precipitation using the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) from satellite data as surrogate for ANPP was assessed. To use EVI as a proxy for ANPP we extracted the satellite data from areas with uniform vegetation in a 2x2 km area for the multi-site approach.In the multi-site analysis in the United States our results showed a strong exponential relationship between iEVI and annual precipitation across the sites and climate regimes studied. We found convergence of all sites toward common and maximum rain use efficiency under the water-limited conditions represented by the driest year at each site. Measures of inter-annual variability in iEVI with rainfall variation across biomes were similar to that reported by Knapp and Smith (2001) in which the more herbaceous dominant sites were found to be most sensitive to interannual variations in precipitation with no relationships found in woodland sites.The relationship was also evaluated in the southern hemisphere using a multi-site analysis with information from satellite TRMM for precipitation and MOD13Q1 from MODIS for EVI values at calendar and hydrologic year periods. The tested sites were located across the 6 major land cover types inAustralia, obtained from MODIS MCD12Q1 product and used to compare the relationship across different biomes. The results showed significant agreement between the annual iEVI and annual precipitation across the biomes involved in this study showing non-significant differences between the calendar and hydrologic years for the 24 sites across different climatic conditions.At the regional scale we also assessed the ANPP-precipitation relationship across all of Australia. Precipitation data from TRMM was obtained at 0.25x0.25 degrees spatial resolution and monthly temporal resolution and EVI values were obtained from the CGM (Climate Grid Modeling) MOD13C1-16-days and 5.6km temporal and spatial resolutions, respectively. Our results were in fair agreement with those from our first two studies and previous research and provided specific insights regarding the use iEVI as a proxy for productivity over extended regions as well as its combination with data sets from TRMM sensor for precipitation data.

Warming induced changes in Arctic vegetation have to date been studied through observational and experimental field studies, leaving significant uncertainty about the representativeness of selected field sites as well as how these field scale findings scale up to the entire pan-Arctic. The purposes of this thesis were therefore to 1) analyze remotely-sensed/modeled temperature, Normalized Difference Vegeta- tion Indices (NDVI) and plant Net Primary Productivity (NPP) to assess coarse- scale changes (1982–2006) in vegetation; and 2) compare field, remote sensing and model outputs to estimate limitations, challenges and disagreements between data formats. The following data sources were used: • Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Polar Pathfinder Extended (APP- x, temperature & albedo) • Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, Normalized Dif- ference Vegetation Index (NDVI) & Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) ) • Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (Landsat ETM, NDVI) • Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS, NDVI) • Global Productivity Efficiency Model (GloPEM, Net Primary Productivity (NPP)) Over the pan-Arctic (1982-2007), increases in temperature, total annual NPP and maximum annual NDVI were observed. Increases in NDVI and NPP were found to be closely related to increases in temperature according to non-parametric Sen’ slope and Mann Kendall tau tests. Variations in phenology were largely non- significant but related to increases in growing season temperature. Snow melt onset and spring onset correspond closely. MODIS, Landsat and GIMMS NDVI data sets agree well, and MODIS EVI and NDVI are very similar for spring and summer at Fosheim Peninsula. GloPEM NPP and field estimates of NPP are poorly correlated, whereas GIMMS NDVI and GloPEM NPP are well correlated, indicating a need for better calibration of model NPP to field data. In summary, increases in pan-Arctic biological productivity indicators were ob- served, and were found to be closely related to recent circumpolar warming. How- ever, these changes appear to be focused in regions from which recent field studies have found significant ecological changes (Alaska), and coarse resolution remote sensing estimates of ecological changes have been less marked in other regions. Dis- crepancies between results from model, field data and remote sensing, as well as central questions remaining about the impact of increases in productivity on soil- vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks, indicate a clear need for continued research into warming induced changes in pan-Arctic vegetation.

Warming induced changes in Arctic vegetation have to date been studied through observational and experimental field studies, leaving significant uncertainty about the representativeness of selected field sites as well as how these field scale findings scale up to the entire pan-Arctic. The purposes of this thesis were therefore to 1) analyze remotely-sensed/modeled temperature, Normalized Difference Vegeta- tion Indices (NDVI) and plant Net Primary Productivity (NPP) to assess coarse- scale changes (1982–2006) in vegetation; and 2) compare field, remote sensing and model outputs to estimate limitations, challenges and disagreements between data formats. The following data sources were used: • Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Polar Pathfinder Extended (APP- x, temperature & albedo) • Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, Normalized Dif- ference Vegetation Index (NDVI) & Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) ) • Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (Landsat ETM, NDVI) • Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS, NDVI) • Global Productivity Efficiency Model (GloPEM, Net Primary Productivity (NPP)) Over the pan-Arctic (1982-2007), increases in temperature, total annual NPP and maximum annual NDVI were observed. Increases in NDVI and NPP were found to be closely related to increases in temperature according to non-parametric Sen’ slope and Mann Kendall tau tests. Variations in phenology were largely non- significant but related to increases in growing season temperature. Snow melt onset and spring onset correspond closely. MODIS, Landsat and GIMMS NDVI data sets agree well, and MODIS EVI and NDVI are very similar for spring and summer at Fosheim Peninsula. GloPEM NPP and field estimates of NPP are poorly correlated, whereas GIMMS NDVI and GloPEM NPP are well correlated, indicating a need for better calibration of model NPP to field data. In summary, increases in pan-Arctic biological productivity indicators were ob- served, and were found to be closely related to recent circumpolar warming. How- ever, these changes appear to be focused in regions from which recent field studies have found significant ecological changes (Alaska), and coarse resolution remote sensing estimates of ecological changes have been less marked in other regions. Dis- crepancies between results from model, field data and remote sensing, as well as central questions remaining about the impact of increases in productivity on soil- vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks, indicate a clear need for continued research into warming induced changes in pan-Arctic vegetation.

Grasslands are characterized by recurring disturbances such as fire and grazing occurring against a background of topoedaphic heterogeneity and climatic variability. The result is a complex, multi-scaled disturbance regime, in which fire and grazing often have interactive roles, yet they have usually been studied independently. Relationships between climate, fire and simulated grazing (=mowing) were explored to determine the roles these disturbances play in shaping patterns and processes in southern mixed-grass prairie. A field experiment investigated the potential effects of these disturbances on above and belowground plant productivity, patch dynamics, and soil respiration over a 2-year period characterized by drought (1998) and normal (1999) rainfall. Spring burning and mowing had interactive effects on aboveground net primary production (ANPP). Consistent with published single factor studies, burning without mowing doubled ANPP, whereas mowing in the absence of burning had neutral effects. However, subsequent mowing on burned plots reduced ANPP gains to levels comparable with all unburned plots. Drought reduced ANPP by 22% relative to a normal rainfall year. In contrast to the traditional model of root response to defoliation, burning and mowing each stimulated root length recruitment measured with minirhizotrons. However, subsequent mowing on burned plots did not produce additional root recruitment. Fire and mowing appear to interact by affecting different components of root recruitment (production and mortality, respectively). Root biomass recovered from ingrowth cores were not correlated with minirhizotron results, and responded only to drought, suggesting that methodological differences have contributed to the varied root responses reported in the literature. Drought suppressed soil respiration, diminished soil moisture, and enhanced soil temperature, whereas fire and/or mowing had little effect. Results suggest that any fire or mowing effects on soil respiration in southern mixed-grass prairie may be highly constrained by moisture limitations during dry periods. In summary, patch level response to fire is a pulse of root recruitment followed by increased ANPP, unless subsequent grazing offsets these gains. Grazing alone produces a pulse of root recruitment, perhaps to replace consumed foliage. This study demonstrates the interactive nature of fire and grazing in grasslands, and the perils of single-factor studies.

Root productivity likely has consequences for the composition, activity, and recovery of soil microbial populations and the belowground processes mediated by these organisms. In tallgrass prairie, ecotypic variation potentially exists in response to a strong precipitation gradient across the Great Plains. Thus, ecotypic variation within a species may differentially affect belowground net primary productivity (BNPP), the associated soil microbial community, and may scale up to affect ecosystem processes. The goals of this study were to elucidate: (1) whether ecotype, environment, or an ecotype by environment interaction regulate BNPP of a dominant species (Andropogon gerardii) collected from and reciprocally planted in common gardens across a precipitation gradient, and (2) whether variation in BNPP scales to affect microbial biomass and ecosystem processes. I quantified root biomass, BNPP (using root ingrowth bags), soil microbial biomass, and nutrient mineralization rates in root-ingrowth cores below six population sources of A. gerardii (2 Illinois, 2 eastern Kansas, and 2 central Kansas) established in southern Illinois, eastern Kansas, and central Kansas. An ecotype effect was found on above and belowground net primary productivity, but these findings did not translate to soil response variables. Microbial populations themselves may affect the productivity and composition of prairie species. In a second study, soil ecological knowledge (SEK) was tested by applying a native prairie soil slurry amendment to restoration plots to determine efficacy of this method as a restoration practice. The goals of this two year study were to elucidate: (1) whether a slurry amendment of prairie soil would increase above and belowground productivity and belowground ecosystem processes in a prairie restoration, and (2) to evaluate whether differences in plant diversity will scale to affect belowground productivity and ecosystem processes. I quantified aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and species composition, as well as root biomass, belowground net primary productivity (BNPP), soil microbial biomass, and nutrient mineralization rates in root-ingrowth cores installed in treated and control plots. A treatment effect was noted on root biomass and total PLFA biomass; however, there was no treatment effect on cover, ANPP, or soil microbial processes. Though the soil microbial community did represent native prairie soil, there was poor establishment of prairie plant species. These factors may be due to the limited time available for data collection and the lack of precipitation in the second growing season. Longer studies may be necessary to fully examine the effects of soil slurry amendments as restoration tools.

xvi, 156 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation examined a number of general vegetation-modeling issues, and the sensitivity of terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP), soil moisture and actual evapotranspiration (ET) to climatic variations in China. The specific issues addressed included: (1) the sensitivity of the performance of an equilibrium vegetation model to the choice of monthly-mean climatologies, observed validation data sets, and three map-comparison approaches; and (2) the limitations of existing map-comparison approaches in vegetation modeling; and the variation and climate sensitivity of (3) terrestrial NPP and (4) soil moisture and actual ET in China. To address the first issue, BIOME4 (Kaplan et al., 2002), a typical example of an equilibrium vegetation model, was used along with a set of 19 different monthly-mean climatologies, three validation data sets, and several map-comparison methods. To address the second issue, the "opposite and identity" (01) index (Tang, 2008) was developed for evaluating the correspondence of two simulation results. To examine the third issue, a set of historical NPP dynamics were derived from normalized-difference vegetation index data by modifying the CASA (Potter et al., 1999) approach and then were linked to the variation of temperature and precipitation to analyze the climatic effects on terrestrial NPP in China. To examine the fourth issue, a stand-alone water balance model, LH (LPJ-hydrology), was developed by modifying the LPJ dynamic global vegetation model (Sitch et al., 2003), and applying it to a China case study. The results of these analyses indicate that (1) the 30-year mean-climatology preceding the observed data produces the most accurate vegetation simulations; (2) the OI index is a useful tool to compare two simulation results or to evaluate simulation results against observed spatiotemporal data; (3) climate and land-use change jointly controlled NPP dynamics in the eastern monsoon zone of China. In contrast, NPP dynamics in the north-west and zone and in the Tibet Plateau frigid zone depended more on climatic variation; and (4) the spatial patterns of soil moisture and ET in China were correlated with the variation of temperature and precipitation. However, the strength of such relationship varies spatially. This dissertation includes my published and coauthored materials. / Adviser: Patrick J. Bartlein

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:32:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTACAO_FANUEL_GEOG.pdf: 5225631 bytes, checksum: 17be1fcb54dcf706976140dca2f5dadb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-27 / Cattle ranching is extremely important for the economy of Brazil. This activity is characterized by the intensive explotation of pastures, which occupy a vast area of the Brazilian territory, i.e. approximately 150 million hectares. Currently, Brazil is the largest meat exporter in the world. Concerning its biomes, this occupation occurs mainly in the Cerrado, where the 546.251 km² of area under utilization correspond to about 37% of the total pasture area in the country. Among the states encompassed within the Cerrado limits, Goiás has the largest pasture occupation, over 38.7% of its area. In addition, it has one of the largest livestock, with about 21.3 millions of heads, producing, on average, 600.000 tons of meat a year. Within this context, arises the concern with the quality of the Goias state pastures, since several studies show that a large portion of these pastures are already degraded (i.e. low capacity), with low cattle occupation. This study, based on remote sensing data, as well as on spatial and census data, aimed at evaluating the quality of the pastures in Goias through the estimation of the net primary productivity (NPP). The distribution of pastures in relation to soil types, cattle occupation at the municipality level, infra-structure and location of the meat processing plants were considered as well. The productivity estimations were based on the MOD13Q1 vegetation index images (EVI), for the 2001 2009 period. The analysis of pasture distribution were conducted through the intersection of the derived NPP and the ancillary data mentioned above. The main conclusions of our study are: a) the highest NPP values are found in the central, southeast and extreme northeastern portions of Goias; b) the highest NPP values are related to the following soils: argissolos, cambissolos, neossolos and latossolos (Oxisols), respectively; c) the average cattle occupation in the Cerrado in Goias is usually low, around 1,07 heads per hectare; d) there are several municipalities (major cattle producers) which have the totality of their pastures severely degraded; e) there is no strict correlation between the location of meat processing plants and quality of pastures, as well as cattle occupation. Thus, the monitoring of pasture quality and the analysis of correlated factors are of great importance, as cattle ranching are responsible for the largest occupation of the Cerrado in Goias e for most of the wealth in the state. / A pecuária é uma atividade extremamente importante para a economia do Brasil. Essa atividade se caracteriza pela exploração extensiva das pastagens, ocupando vasta área do território, aproximadamente 150 milhões de hectares. Atualmente, o Brasil é o maior exportador de carne bovina no mundo. Em relação aos biomas brasileiros, essa ocupação ocorre principalmente no Cerrado, ocupando uma área de 546.251 km², o que representa cerca de 37% da área total de pastagens no país. Dentre os estados que compõem os limites do Cerrado, Goiás é o que possui maior ocupação por pastagens, com aproximadamente 38.7% de sua área. Além disso, tem um dos maiores rebanhos bovinos, com cerca de 21.3 milhões de cabeças de gado, produzindo em média, 600.000 toneladas de carne por ano. Diante desse contexto, surge a preocupação sobre a qualidade das pastagens cultivadas no estado de Goiás, uma vez que diversos estudos mostram que grandes partes dessas pastagens estão com algum nível de degradação (i.e. baixa capacidade de suporte) e baixa lotação bovina média. Esse estudo, baseado em dados de sensoriamento remoto orbital, bem como bases de dados espaciais e censitários, teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade das pastagens em Goiás, a partir da estimativa de produtividade primária líquida da vegetação (NPP). A distribuição das pastagens em relação ao tipo de solo, lotação bovina por município, infra-estrutura e localização das plantas de processamento de carne foram considerados também. As estimativas de produtividade foram baseadas nas imagens MODIS13Q1 de índice de vegetação (EVI), para o período de 2001 - 2009. As análises da distribuição de pastagens foram conduzidas através da intersecção do NPP e os dados auxiliares mencionados acima. Os principais resultados desse trabalho são: a) os maiores valores de NPP são encontrados nas porções centrais, sudeste e extremo nordeste do estado de Goiás; b) os maiores índices de NPP estão associados aos seguintes solos: argissolos, cambissolos, neossolos e latossolos, respectivamente; c) a média de lotação bovina no Cerrado goiano em geral é baixa, gira em torno de 1,07 cabeças por hectares; d) há vários municípios (maiores produtores de gado) que estão com suas áreas de pastagens seriamente comprometidas; e) não há grandes correlações entre o local dos frigoríficos e a qualidade das pastagens, bem como a ocupação de gado. Assim, o monitoramento da qualidade das pastagens e a análise de fatores correlatos são de grande importância, pois a pecuária é responsável pela ocupação de maior parte do Cerrado goiano e geração de grandes riquezas para o estado.

Northern hardwood forests are expected to experience an increase in mean annual air temperatures, and a decrease in winter snowpack and greater frequency of soil freeze/thaw cycles (FTCs) by the end of the century. As a result of these anticipated changes, northern hardwood forests in the northeastern U.S. will also have warmer soil temperatures in the growing season and colder soils in winter. Prior studies show that warmer soils in the growing season increase net primary productivity (NPP) and C storage as a result of increased soil net N mineralization, while increases in soil freezing in winter reduces plant uptake of N and C as a result of root damage. However, the combined effects of warmer soils in the growing season and increased soil freeze/thaw cycles in winter on tree litter mass and chemistry are unknown. We report here results from the Climate Change Across Seasons Experiment (CCASE) at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA to characterize the response of leaf litter mass and chemistry to growing season warming combined with soil freeze–thaw cycles in winter. Across the years 2014-2017, litterfall mass and chemistry (%C, %N, C:N) were not significantly affected by changes in soil temperature; however, there was a trend of higher total litterfall mass and litter N mass from plots where soils were warmed in the growing season, but this increase disappeared with the addition of FTCs in winter. These results indicate that while rates of NPP and the total mass of N could be increased with rising soil temperatures over the next century in northern hardwood forests, the combination of warmer soils in the growing season and colder soils in winter may ultimate have little to no impact on litter mass or chemistry. We conclude that considering the combined effects of climate changes in the growing season and in winter is vital for the accurate determination of the response of litterfall mass and chemistry in northern hardwood forests.

No description available.

The tropical forests on the island of Borneo are among of the richest in the world in terms of tree diversity, and their capacity to store a large reservoir of carbon. The Southeast Asian forests are fundamentally different from Neotropical and African forests, with their single-family dominance by dipterocarp trees, and with inherently greater stature and biomass. The carbon productivity and allocation in Asian tropical forests is still poorly quantified, and their responses to environmental drivers are still poorly understood. Almost all recent advances in tropical forest carbon cycling research have occurred in the Neotropics, with very few studies in Asia. The principal aim of this thesis is to quantify the carbon budget of a lowland dipterocarp forest in the Lambir Hills National Park, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. I examined and explored the productivity and carbon cycling processes and their responses to environmental factors across two major and contrasting soil types, in particular the clay and sandy loam soils. I recorded and analysed the Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and respiration for the above- and below-ground components, and observed the responses to seasonal variation and environmental drivers. Total soil respiration was relatively high and contributed a great deal to ecosystem respiration. Variation in soil respiration rates appeared closely related to soil moisture content. I found a strong diurnal cycle in soil respiration. On the basis of the first soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux partitioning study undertaken in a tropical forest, the diurnal cycle in total soil respiration appeared to be entirely driven by the diurnal cycle in litter respiration, and in turn litter is strongly controlled by moisture. There was little seasonal variation in allocation of net primary productivity (NPP), but there was evidence showing potential inter-annual variability for several components of NPP. Further, the allocation of NPP showed a strong seasonal shift between the forest plots on clay and sandy loam soils. Combining all the data measured and obtained in this D.Phil. thesis, the overall carbon budget assessed in this lowland dipterocarp forest showed a high level of agreement with other studies in Asia using micrometeorological techniques and the situation appears to be comparable to tropical forests in Amazonia. The key difference is that the aboveground NPP is higher and is the largest component contributing to the overall carbon budget, with relatively higher carbon use efficiency (CUE). The lowland dipterocarp forest in Lambir shows higher allocation in the above-ground NPP, and there were also differences in NPP and its allocation between sandy and clay-rich plots.