Modeled vs Measured NPP: Are Global Satellite Estimates of Forest NPP Appropriate Across the Terrain of Northern Rocky Mountain Forests?
Additional Funding Sources
The project was supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program Grant No. 1655183.
Abstract
Due to the difficulty of estimating forest ecosystem Net Primary Productivity (NPP) directly and at large spatial scales, modelled products are often used to examine the variation of NPP in the context of global change. Previous work has examined the relationship between observations of NPP and satellite estimated NPP at heavily monitored sites. However, it is still unknown how appropriate satellite NPP measurements are in the context of the complex terrain and disturbance history of the Northern Rocky Mountains. This study compares Modis-NPP (a modelled satellite product available at yearly time steps) with observed NPP in the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. NPP was estimated with tree cores and aboveground biomass inventories at 41 plots. Modis is generally appropriate for one kilometer averages, but does not illustrate the strong NPP gradients associated with patches in the disturbance mosaic, and therefore the causes of landscape level NPP.
Modeled vs Measured NPP: Are Global Satellite Estimates of Forest NPP Appropriate Across the Terrain of Northern Rocky Mountain Forests?
Due to the difficulty of estimating forest ecosystem Net Primary Productivity (NPP) directly and at large spatial scales, modelled products are often used to examine the variation of NPP in the context of global change. Previous work has examined the relationship between observations of NPP and satellite estimated NPP at heavily monitored sites. However, it is still unknown how appropriate satellite NPP measurements are in the context of the complex terrain and disturbance history of the Northern Rocky Mountains. This study compares Modis-NPP (a modelled satellite product available at yearly time steps) with observed NPP in the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. NPP was estimated with tree cores and aboveground biomass inventories at 41 plots. Modis is generally appropriate for one kilometer averages, but does not illustrate the strong NPP gradients associated with patches in the disturbance mosaic, and therefore the causes of landscape level NPP.
Comments
W29