Globe-LFMC, a global plant water status database for vegetation ecophysiology and wildfire applications

Ross A. Bradstock ,Víctor Resco De Dios ,Gianluca Scortechini,Greg G. Forsyth ,María Eugenia Beget,M. L. Sow ,Philip E. Dennison ,David Riaño,Glenn Newnham,Susan L. Ustin ,Tineke Kraaij,M. Pilar Martín,Xingwen Quan,Emilio Chuvieco,Dar A. Roberts ,Philip Frost,Qing Yi ,Abdelaziz Hamdi,Abdulbaset Badi,Bin He ,Mariano Garcı́a ,Matthias M. Boer,Florent Mouillot,Grazia Pellizzaro,Rachael H. Nolan,Matt Jolly,Carlos Marcelo Di Bella ,Marta Yebra,F. Mark Danson

doi:10.1038/s41597-019-0164-9

Abstract

Globe-LFMC is an extensive global database of live fuel moisture content (LFMC) measured from 1,383 sampling sites in 11 countries: Argentina, Australia, China, France, Italy, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the United States of America. The database contains 161,717 individual records based on in situ destructive samples used to measure LFMC, representing the amount of water in plant leaves per unit of dry matter. The primary goal of the database is to calibrate and validate remote sensing algorithms used to predict LFMC. However, this database is also relevant for the calibration and validation of dynamic global vegetation models, eco-physiological models of plant water stress as well as understanding the physiological drivers of spatiotemporal variation in LFMC at local, regional and global scales. Globe-LFMC should be useful for studying LFMC trends in response to environmental change and LFMC influence on wildfire occurrence, wildfire behavior, and overall vegetation health.

Highlights

Background & SummaryLive Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) is the water content of live foliage relative to its dry mass, which influences vegetation susceptibility to wildfire1
Given the large cost of collecting field measurements of live fuel moisture content (LFMC) over large areas or long time periods, an international effort to compile and share existing field observations in a global database would help overcome a key constraint for the improvement and validation of LFMC remote sensing methods
We used remote sensing to assess the heterogeneity of vegetation greenness surrounding site coordinates, since highly heterogeneous areas within a specific satellite footprint may not be suitable for the calibration or validation of remote sensing products)

Summary

Background & Summary

Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) is the water content of live foliage relative to its dry mass, which influences vegetation susceptibility to wildfire. Field ID Contact Sitename State/Region Country Latitude Longitude Sampling time Sampling date Sampling year Protocol Land Cover LFMC value Units NDVI SD min NDVI SD max NDVI CV min NDVI CV max Species collected Elevation (m.a.s.l) Slope (%). We used remote sensing to assess the heterogeneity of vegetation greenness surrounding site coordinates, since highly heterogeneous areas within a specific satellite footprint may not be suitable for the calibration or validation of remote sensing products). This database will lead to further advances in modeling and monitoring of spatial and temporal variation in LFMC. The database may be useful for exploring LFMC trends in response to environmental change and LFMC influence on wildfire occurrence, wildfire behaviour and overall vegetation health

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