Patterns and trends in the spatial heterogeneity of land surface phenology of global forests

Abstract

Land-surface phenology is a widely used indicator of how terrestrial ecosystems respond to environmental change. The spatial variability of this plant functional trait has also been advocated as an indicator of the functional composition of ecosystems. However, a global-scale assessment of spatial patterns in the spatial heterogeneity of forest phenology is currently lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we developed an index based on satellite retrievals and used it to quantify phenological diversity across global forest biomes. We show that there is considerable variation in phenological diversity among biomes, with the highest overall levels occurring in arid and temperate regions. An analysis of the drivers of the spatial patterns revealed that temperature-related factors primarily determine the variation in phenological diversity. Notably, temperature seasonality and mean annual temperature emerged as the most significant variables in explaining this global-scale variability. Furthermore, an assessment of temporal changes over an 18-year period revealed strong climate-driven shifts of phenological diversity in boreal and arid regions, suggesting that there may be an ongoing widespread homogenisation of land surface phenology within forest ecosystems. Our findings ultimately contribute to the development of a novel Essential Biodiversity Variable, which may enable scientists and practitioners to quantify the functional composition of ecosystems at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales.