Improved monitoring of vegetation dynamics at very high latitudes: a new method using MODIS NDVI

Current models of vegetation dynamics using the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) time series perform poorly for high-latitude environments. This is due partly to specific attributes of these environments, such as short growing season, long periods of darkness in winter, persistence of snow cover, and dominance of evergreen species, but also to the design of the models. We present a new method for monitoring vegetation activity at high latitudes, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI. It estimates the NDVI of the vegetation during winter and applies a double logistic function, which is uniquely defined by six parameters that describe the yearly NDVI time series. Using NDVI data from 2000 to 2004, we illustrate the performance of this method for an area in northern Scandinavia (35 × 162 km2, 68° N 23° E) and compare it to existing methods based on Fourier series and asymmetric Gaussian functions. The double logistic functions describe the NDVI data better than both the Fourier series and the asymmetric Gaussian functions, as quantified by the root mean square errors. Compared with the method based on Fourier series, the new method does not overestimate the duration of the growing season. In addition, it handles outliers effectively and estimates parameters that are related to phenological events, such as the timing of spring and autumn. This makes the method most suitable for both estimating biophysical parameters and monitoring vegetation phenology

A ground-validated NDVI dataset for monitoring vegetation dynamics and mapping phenology in Fennoscandia and the Kola peninsula

An NDVI dataset covering Fennoscandia and the Kola peninsula was created for vegetation and climate studies, using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer 16-day maximum value composite data from 2000 to 2005. To create the dataset, (1) the influence of the polar night and snow on the NDVI values was removed by replacing NDVI values in winter with a pixel-specific NDVI value representing the NDVI outside the growing season when the pixel is free of snow; and (2) yearly NDVI time series were modelled for each pixel using a double logistic function defined by six parameters. Estimates of the onset of spring and the end of autumn were then mapped using the modelled dataset and compared with ground observations of the onset of leafing and the end of leaf fall in birch, respectively. Missing and poor-quality data prevented estimates from being produced for all pixels in the study area. Applying a 5 km×5 km mean filter increased the number of modelled pixels without decreasing the accuracy of the predictions. The comparison shows good agreement between the modelled and observed dates (root mean square error = 12 days, n = 108 for spring; root mean square error = 10 days, n = 26, for autumn). Fennoscandia shows a range in the onset of spring of more than 2 months within a single year and locally the onset of spring varies with up to one month between years. The end of autumn varies by one and a half months across the region. While continued validation with ground data is needed, this new dataset facilitates the detailed monitoring of vegetation activity in Fennoscandia and the Kola peninsula