Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Seasonal Variations in Water Use Efficiency in Ghana’s Savanna Ecological Zone in Response to Climate Change
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Earth and EnvironmentalScience
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Bassil El Masri, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges today, primarily driven by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Its impacts—such as heat waves, hurricanes, droughts, and erratic rainfall—pose significant threats to livelihoods worldwide. Terrestrial ecosystems play a vital role in mitigating these effects by sequestering atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis, which relies on water availability.
Drought, a key consequence of climate change, disrupts the water cycle and significantly affects the carbon cycle (Yang et al., 2016). Trees respond to drought differently based on their water-use efficiency (WUE), making it essential to understand WUE in savannas, which cover nearly half of Earth’s land and are particularly vulnerable to drought.
This project utilizes remote sensing data to examine seasonal WUE variability in the savanna ecological zone of Ghana between 2019 and 2023. By analyzing WUE data from the ECOSTRESS mission (ECOSTRESS_L4_ESI Product), the study aims to identify trends in vegetation efficiency and provide recommendations for sustainable land management practices. Preliminary results indicate some variabilities in WUE in the study area. Improved understanding of WUE can guide land users in selecting crops that optimize yields and enhance food security while also supporting irrigation and sustainable agriculture for communities reliant on rain-fed systems.
Spring Scholars Week 2025
Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Seasonal Variations in Water Use Efficiency in Ghana’s Savanna Ecological Zone in Response to Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges today, primarily driven by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Its impacts—such as heat waves, hurricanes, droughts, and erratic rainfall—pose significant threats to livelihoods worldwide. Terrestrial ecosystems play a vital role in mitigating these effects by sequestering atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis, which relies on water availability.
Drought, a key consequence of climate change, disrupts the water cycle and significantly affects the carbon cycle (Yang et al., 2016). Trees respond to drought differently based on their water-use efficiency (WUE), making it essential to understand WUE in savannas, which cover nearly half of Earth’s land and are particularly vulnerable to drought.
This project utilizes remote sensing data to examine seasonal WUE variability in the savanna ecological zone of Ghana between 2019 and 2023. By analyzing WUE data from the ECOSTRESS mission (ECOSTRESS_L4_ESI Product), the study aims to identify trends in vegetation efficiency and provide recommendations for sustainable land management practices. Preliminary results indicate some variabilities in WUE in the study area. Improved understanding of WUE can guide land users in selecting crops that optimize yields and enhance food security while also supporting irrigation and sustainable agriculture for communities reliant on rain-fed systems.