Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Reynolds, S.C., Marston, C.G., Hassani, H., King, G.C.P. and Bennett, M.R.
Journal: Scientific Reports
Volume: 6
eISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/srep35951
Abstract:Climate shifts at decadal scales can have environmental consequences, and therefore, identifying areas that act as environmental refugia is valuable in understanding future climate variability. Here we illustrate how, given appropriate geohydrology, a rift basin and its catchment can buffer vegetation response to climate signals on decadal time-scales, therefore exerting strong local environmental control. We use time-series data derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) residuals that record vegetation vigour, extracted from a decadal span of MODIS images, to demonstrate hydrogeological buffering. While this has been described previously it has never been demonstrated via remote sensing and results in relative stability in vegetation vigour inside the delta, compared to that outside. As such the Delta acts as a regional hydro-refugium. This provides insight, not only to the potential impact of future climate in the region, but also demonstrates why similar basins are attractive to fauna, including our ancestors, in regions like eastern Africa. Although vertebrate evolution operates on time scales longer than decades, the sensitivity of rift wetlands to climate change has been stressed by some authors, and this work demonstrates another example of the unique properties that such basins can afford, given the right hydrological conditions.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: Scopus
Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Authors: Reynolds, S.C., Marston, C.G., Hassani, H., King, G.C.P. and Bennett, M.R.
Journal: Sci Rep
Volume: 6
Pages: 35951
eISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/srep35951
Abstract:Climate shifts at decadal scales can have environmental consequences, and therefore, identifying areas that act as environmental refugia is valuable in understanding future climate variability. Here we illustrate how, given appropriate geohydrology, a rift basin and its catchment can buffer vegetation response to climate signals on decadal time-scales, therefore exerting strong local environmental control. We use time-series data derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) residuals that record vegetation vigour, extracted from a decadal span of MODIS images, to demonstrate hydrogeological buffering. While this has been described previously it has never been demonstrated via remote sensing and results in relative stability in vegetation vigour inside the delta, compared to that outside. As such the Delta acts as a regional hydro-refugium. This provides insight, not only to the potential impact of future climate in the region, but also demonstrates why similar basins are attractive to fauna, including our ancestors, in regions like eastern Africa. Although vertebrate evolution operates on time scales longer than decades, the sensitivity of rift wetlands to climate change has been stressed by some authors, and this work demonstrates another example of the unique properties that such basins can afford, given the right hydrological conditions.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: PubMed
Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Reynolds, S.C., Marston, C.G., Hassani, H., King, G.C.P. and Bennett, M.R.
Journal: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Volume: 6
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/srep35951
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Authors: Reynolds, S., Bennett, M.R., Hassani, H., Marston, C.G. and King, G.C.P.
Journal: Scientific Reports
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group: Open Access Journals - Option C
ISSN: 2045-2322
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: Manual
Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Authors: Reynolds, S.C., Marston, C.G., Hassani, H., King, G.C.P. and Bennett, M.R.
Journal: Scientific reports
Volume: 6
Pages: 35951
eISSN: 2045-2322
ISSN: 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/srep35951
Abstract:Climate shifts at decadal scales can have environmental consequences, and therefore, identifying areas that act as environmental refugia is valuable in understanding future climate variability. Here we illustrate how, given appropriate geohydrology, a rift basin and its catchment can buffer vegetation response to climate signals on decadal time-scales, therefore exerting strong local environmental control. We use time-series data derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) residuals that record vegetation vigour, extracted from a decadal span of MODIS images, to demonstrate hydrogeological buffering. While this has been described previously it has never been demonstrated via remote sensing and results in relative stability in vegetation vigour inside the delta, compared to that outside. As such the Delta acts as a regional hydro-refugium. This provides insight, not only to the potential impact of future climate in the region, but also demonstrates why similar basins are attractive to fauna, including our ancestors, in regions like eastern Africa. Although vertebrate evolution operates on time scales longer than decades, the sensitivity of rift wetlands to climate change has been stressed by some authors, and this work demonstrates another example of the unique properties that such basins can afford, given the right hydrological conditions.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: Europe PubMed Central
Environmental hydro-refugia demonstrated by vegetation vigour in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Authors: Reynolds, S.C., Marston, C.G., Hassani, H., King, G.C.P. and Bennett, M.R.
Journal: Scientific Reports
Volume: 6
Pages: 35951
ISSN: 2045-2322
Abstract:Climate shifts at decadal scales can have environmental consequences, and therefore, identifying areas that act as environmental refugia is valuable in understanding future climate variability. Here we illustrate how, given appropriate geohydrology, a rift basin and its catchment can buffer vegetation response to climate signals on decadal time-scales, therefore exerting strong local environmental control. We use time-series data derived from Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) residuals that record vegetation vigour, extracted from a decadal span of MODIS images, to demonstrate hydrogeological buffering. While this has been described previously it has never been demonstrated via remote sensing and results in relative stability in vegetation vigour inside the delta, compared to that outside. As such the Delta acts as a regional hydro-refugium. This provides insight, not only to the potential impact of future climate in the region, but also demonstrates why similar basins are attractive to fauna, including our ancestors, in regions like eastern Africa. Although vertebrate evolution operates on time scales longer than decades, the sensitivity of rift wetlands to climate change has been stressed by some authors, and this work demonstrates another example of the unique properties that such basins can afford, given the right hydrological conditions.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24896/
Source: BURO EPrints