Seasonal gross primary production in response to environmental drivers from arid mangroves in the Gulf of California

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems provide multiple services, because of their Carbon (C) storage capacity they are recognized as blue carbon ecosystems. Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is an important component of the C cycle, however is challenging to measure at multiple time and spatial scales, providing opportunity for novel and practical research using remote sensing. In northwestern Mexico mangroves find their northern most distribution in Sonora, were the North American Monsoon System that occurs from June to September is an important driver of ecosystem processes. The aim of this research was to changes of GPP at “Estero El Sargento” using remote sensing (MOD17A2H V6) and modeling (SPL4CMDL) products, and further explore environmental drivers that influence such change, for a period of three-year period (2014–2016). Our results show that in this mangrove site, GPP was not limited by precipitation, producing high values during the Pre-Monsoon season (385–490 gC m−2) than in the Monsoon season (260–311 gC m−2). Furthermore, high tide conditions, air temperature (T), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) strongly drive GPP during the Monsoon (r2 = 0.4) and Post Monsoon (r2 = 0.6) seasonswhich was not the case for the Pre-Monsoon season. There is a clear seasonality that influences ecosystem processes, with T and VPD being the most relevant environmental drivers. The increase in T and VPD limits GPP, which is of vital importance under the current climate change conditions. This type of studies is important to the Comcaac (Seri) Nation especially with their ongoing conservation efforts.