A novel pattern of leaf movement: The case of Capparis spinosa L.

A novel type of heliotropic leaf movement is presented for Capparis spinosa L., a summer perennial shrub of Mediterranean and arid ecosystems. In contrast to plants that demonstrate uniform diaheliotropic and/or paraheliotropic movement for all their foliage, the alternate leaves of C. spinosa follow different movement patterns according to their stem azimuth and the side of the stem that they come from (cluster). Additionally, leaf movement for each cluster may not be uniform throughout the day, showing diaheliotropic characteristics during half of the day and paraheliotropic characteristics during the rest of the day. In an attempt to reveal the adaptive significance of this differential movement pattern, the following hypotheses were tested: (i) increase of the intercepted solar radiation and photosynthesis, (ii) avoidance of photoinhibitory conditions, (iii) amelioration of water-use efficiency and (iv) adjustment of the leaf temperature microenvironment. No evidence was found in support of the first two hypotheses. A slight difference toward a better water use was found for the moving compared with immobilized leaves, in combination with a better cooling effect. © 2016 The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

Climatic Drivers of the Complex Phenology of the Mediterranean Semi-Deciduous Shrub Phlomis fruticosa Based on Satellite-Derived EVI

A 21-year Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time-series produced from MODIS satellite images was used to study the complex phenological cycle of the drought semi-deciduous shrub Phlomis fruticosa and additionally to identify and compare phenological events between two Mediterranean sites with different microclimates. In the more xeric Araxos site, spring leaf fall starts earlier, autumn revival occurs later, and the dry period is longer, compared with the more favorable Louros site. Accordingly, the control of climatic factors on phenological events was examined and found that the Araxos site is mostly influenced by rain related events while Louros site by both rain and temperature. Spring phenological events showed significant shifts at a rate of 1–4.9 days per year in Araxos, which were positively related to trends for decreasing spring precipitation and increasing summer temperature. Furthermore, the climatic control on the inter-annual EVI fluctuation was examined through multiple linear regression and machine learning approaches. For both sites, temperature during the previous 2–3 months and rain days of the previous 3 months were identified as the main drivers of the EVI profile. Our results emphasize the importance of focusing on a single species and small-spatial-scale information in connecting vegetation responses to the climate crisis. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Multi-Year Monitoring of Deciduous Forests Ecophysiology and the Role of Temperature and Precipitation as Controlling Factors

Two deciduous forest ecosystems, one dominated by Fagus sylvatica and a mixed one with Quercus cerris and Quercus frainetto, were monitored from an ecophysiological perspective during a five-year period, in order to assess seasonal fluctuations, establish links between phenology and ecophysiology, and reveal climatic controls. Field measurements of leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content, leaf specific mass (LSM), water potential (Ψ) and leaf photosynthesis (Aleaf) were performed approximately on a monthly basis. LAI, chlorophylls and LSM fluctuations followed a recurrent pattern yearly, with increasing values during spring leaf burst and expansion, relatively stable values during summer and decreasing values during autumn senescence. However, pre-senescence leaf fall and chlorophyll reductions were evident in the driest year. The dynamically responsive Aleaf and Ψ presented considerable inter-annual variation. Both oak species showed more pronounced depressions of Aleaf and Ψ compared to beech, yet the time-point of their appearance coincided and was the same for all species each year. Spring temperature had a positive role in the increasing phase of all ecophysiological processes while rising autumn temperature resulted in retarded senescence. Precipitation showed asymmetric effects on the measured ecophysiological parameters. The between-species differences in responses, climate sensitivity and climate memory are identified and discussed. © 2022 by the authors

Modeling of durum wheat yield based on sentinel-2 imagery

In this study, a modelling approach for the estimation/prediction of wheat yield based on Sentinel-2 data is presented. Model development was accomplished through a two-step process: firstly, the capacity of Sentinel-2 vegetation indices (VIs) to follow plant ecophysiological parameters was established through measurements in a pilot field and secondly, the results of the first step were extended/evaluated in 31 fields, during two growing periods, to increase the applicability range and robustness of the models. Modelling results were examined against yield data collected by a combine harvester equipped with a yield-monitoring system. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were examined as plant signals and combined with Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and/or Normalized Multiband Drought Index (NMDI) during the growth period or before sowing, as water and soil signals, respectively. The best performing model involved the EVI integral for the 20 April–31 May period as a plant signal and NMDI on 29 April and before sowing as water and soil signals, respectively (R2 = 0.629, RMSE = 538). However, model versions with a single date and maximum seasonal VIs values as a plant signal, performed almost equally well. Since the maximum seasonal VIs values occurred during the last ten days of April, these model versions are suitable for yield prediction. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland