Cássio, Fernanda

Henriques, Renato

Pace, Giorgio

Pascoal, Cláudia

English

Universidade do Minho: RepositoriUM

Responses of Riparian Vegetation NDVI to changes in wateravailability in heterogenous ecosystems1*Pace, G., 2Henriques, R., 1Cássio, F. & 1Pascoal, C.*lead presenter1giorgio.pace@bio.uminho.pt, CBMA Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology,University of Minho, Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), Braga,Portugal.2 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minho; Institute of Earth Sciences (ICT), Braga,Portugal.Riparian areas include a diverse array of plant and animal species ensuring several ecosystemservices (e.g. storing and purifying water, preventing erosion, providing habitat). However,these areas have been deteriorating their health condition as a result of anthropogenicalterations and increasing frequencies and intensities of climate extremes, such as drought. Inthis study, we combined historical climate data (precipitation and temperature) with timeseries (from 2016 to 2019) of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (Sentinel 2 - NDVI) toinvestigate seasonal and phenological responses of riparian vegetation during periods ofdroughts and across naturally and managed vegetation types: Coniferous, Broadleaved forestand Grassland. Our study area was the Cávado river basin (NE Portugal). We analysed theattributes of the NDVI seasonal dynamics (e.g. annual mean, relative range, coefficient ofvariation, and their inter-annual variabilities) in 20 squared plots (of 1 ha per plot) randomlyselected in each vegetation type. Results suggest that the use of NDVI represents a promisingmethod to obtain spatial distribution data for evergreen and deciduous trees, to estimatespecies diversity, based on the spectral variation hypothesis, and to investigate theirrelationship with climatic variables. Our findings show the importance of remote sensing datain providing useful cost-effective estimates of diversity and distribution patterns over spaceand time. From an ecological and operational point of view, the approach presented hereincould improve our ability to map vulnerable areas within the river basin and to implementmore efficient conservation practices.Preferred Session: RS9. Monitorização, gestão e restauração de ecossistemas aquáticosType of communication: Oral: X

Responses of Riparian Vegetation NDVI to changes in water availability in heterogenous ecosystems

http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/72938/1/Pace-et-al_abstract-submission_AIL2020.pdf

Responses of Riparian Vegetation NDVI to changes in water availability in heterogenous ecosystems

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Universidade do Minho: RepositoriUM