Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change
This study comprehensively examined the impact of climate change on vegetation phenology within Romanian protected areas (PAs), focusing on critical phenological indicators such as the start of season (SOS), end of season (EOS), length of season (LOS), position of peak (POP), and photosynthetic metr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecological Informatics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005041 |
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| author | Irina Ontel Sorin Avram Carmen Adriana Gheorghe Mihaita Iulian Niculae Ionuț Silviu Pascu Steliana Rodino |
| author_facet | Irina Ontel Sorin Avram Carmen Adriana Gheorghe Mihaita Iulian Niculae Ionuț Silviu Pascu Steliana Rodino |
| author_sort | Irina Ontel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study comprehensively examined the impact of climate change on vegetation phenology within Romanian protected areas (PAs), focusing on critical phenological indicators such as the start of season (SOS), end of season (EOS), length of season (LOS), position of peak (POP), and photosynthetic metrics, including mean spring (MSP) and mean autumn (MAU). The overarching objective was to quantify the extent to which bioclimatic variables, particularly temperature and precipitation, drive shifts in vegetation phenology and ecosystem dynamics in regionally diverse and ecologically sensitive landscapes. Using high-resolution remote-sensing data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from Terra satellite (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI)) combined with climate data from ERA5-Land Climate Reanalysis (2001−2020), this study provides a robust assessment of long-term vegetation trends. Our findings revealed pronounced warming trends and declining precipitation patterns, particularly in Alpine biogeographical regions. These climatic changes have resulted in earlier SOS, extended LOS, and increased seasonal productivity, although region-specific variability is evident owing to local vegetation types and unique ecological conditions. These phenological shifts align with the global trends observed across temperate and Alpine ecosystems in Europe, North America, and Asia, where rising temperatures and altered precipitation regimes drive similar ecological responses. This study highlights that global biodiversity hotspots, such as Romanian PAs, are experiencing phenological alterations that mirror the global patterns of earlier greening, prolonged growing seasons, and ecosystem stress, particularly under drought conditions. This study makes a significant contribution to ecological informatics by integrating phenological metrics with climate models, thereby providing a scalable framework that is applicable to other regions facing similar climatic challenges. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1d2f5992c86f4ce1b657ce1827cde0e0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1574-9541 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Informatics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1d2f5992c86f4ce1b657ce1827cde0e02025-01-19T06:24:40ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-03-0185102962Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate changeIrina Ontel0Sorin Avram1Carmen Adriana Gheorghe2Mihaita Iulian Niculae3Ionuț Silviu Pascu4Steliana Rodino5Remote Sensing and Satellite Meteorology, National Meteorological Administration, 97 Sos. București-Ploiești, 013686 Bucharest, Romania; National Institute for Economic Research Costin C. Kirițescu, Bucharest, RomaniaNational Institute for Economic Research Costin C. Kirițescu, Bucharest, Romania; Department of Geography, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania; Corresponding author at: National Institute for Economic Research Costin C. Kirițescu, Bucharest, Romania.National Institute for Economic Research Costin C. Kirițescu, Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Bucharest, Center for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, Bucharest, Romania“Marin Dracea” Romanian National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry, Department of Forest Monitoring, 128 Eroilor Blvd., 077190 Voluntari, RomaniaResearch Institute for Agriculture Economy and Rural Development, Bd. Marasti, nr 61, Bucharest, Romania; National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 296 Splaiul Independenţei, District 6, Bucharest, RomaniaThis study comprehensively examined the impact of climate change on vegetation phenology within Romanian protected areas (PAs), focusing on critical phenological indicators such as the start of season (SOS), end of season (EOS), length of season (LOS), position of peak (POP), and photosynthetic metrics, including mean spring (MSP) and mean autumn (MAU). The overarching objective was to quantify the extent to which bioclimatic variables, particularly temperature and precipitation, drive shifts in vegetation phenology and ecosystem dynamics in regionally diverse and ecologically sensitive landscapes. Using high-resolution remote-sensing data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from Terra satellite (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI)) combined with climate data from ERA5-Land Climate Reanalysis (2001−2020), this study provides a robust assessment of long-term vegetation trends. Our findings revealed pronounced warming trends and declining precipitation patterns, particularly in Alpine biogeographical regions. These climatic changes have resulted in earlier SOS, extended LOS, and increased seasonal productivity, although region-specific variability is evident owing to local vegetation types and unique ecological conditions. These phenological shifts align with the global trends observed across temperate and Alpine ecosystems in Europe, North America, and Asia, where rising temperatures and altered precipitation regimes drive similar ecological responses. This study highlights that global biodiversity hotspots, such as Romanian PAs, are experiencing phenological alterations that mirror the global patterns of earlier greening, prolonged growing seasons, and ecosystem stress, particularly under drought conditions. This study makes a significant contribution to ecological informatics by integrating phenological metrics with climate models, thereby providing a scalable framework that is applicable to other regions facing similar climatic challenges.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005041Vegetation phenologyBioclimatic indicatorsClimate changeProtected areas |
| spellingShingle | Irina Ontel Sorin Avram Carmen Adriana Gheorghe Mihaita Iulian Niculae Ionuț Silviu Pascu Steliana Rodino Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change Ecological Informatics Vegetation phenology Bioclimatic indicators Climate change Protected areas |
| title | Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change |
| title_full | Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change |
| title_fullStr | Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change |
| title_short | Shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas: A response to climate change |
| title_sort | shifting vegetation phenology in protected areas a response to climate change |
| topic | Vegetation phenology Bioclimatic indicators Climate change Protected areas |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005041 |
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