Examining the relationship between soil characteristics and vegetation phenology: what is the role of soil temperature and soil moisture?
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Geosciences
Minor
Marketing
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Bassil El Masri
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Plant phenology is the seasonal development of the annual cycle of a plant, driven by temperature, photoperiod, and precipitation. Observations of plant phenology over time will clarify the interactions and feedbacks between climate changes and vegetation. This research examines the potential of soil temperature and moisture data in predicting the vegetation growing season length. The start and end dates of the vegetation growing season were calculated using soil temperature data from seven sites representing different types of vegetation (deciduous forest and grassland). Different parameters were tested in order to improve the end of season models. Vegetation phenology metrics were modeled using air temperature for the same sites, and the results were compared to determine if the soil temperature-based vegetation phenology is more accurate than the air temperature method. The effectiveness of those methods was assessed by comparing both soil and air temperature data results to site phenology derived from measured productivity. Results showed that the start of season model performed better when driven by soil temperature. Including soil moisture is predicted to improve the models and provide more accurate results.
Fall Scholars Week 2018 Event
Earth and Environmental Sciences Poster Session
Examining the relationship between soil characteristics and vegetation phenology: what is the role of soil temperature and soil moisture?
Plant phenology is the seasonal development of the annual cycle of a plant, driven by temperature, photoperiod, and precipitation. Observations of plant phenology over time will clarify the interactions and feedbacks between climate changes and vegetation. This research examines the potential of soil temperature and moisture data in predicting the vegetation growing season length. The start and end dates of the vegetation growing season were calculated using soil temperature data from seven sites representing different types of vegetation (deciduous forest and grassland). Different parameters were tested in order to improve the end of season models. Vegetation phenology metrics were modeled using air temperature for the same sites, and the results were compared to determine if the soil temperature-based vegetation phenology is more accurate than the air temperature method. The effectiveness of those methods was assessed by comparing both soil and air temperature data results to site phenology derived from measured productivity. Results showed that the start of season model performed better when driven by soil temperature. Including soil moisture is predicted to improve the models and provide more accurate results.