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Empirical evidence for recent global shifts in vegetation resilience

Author

Listed:
  • Taylor Smith

    (Universität Potsdam)

  • Dominik Traxl

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)

  • Niklas Boers

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
    Technical University of Munich
    University of Exeter)

Abstract

The character and health of ecosystems worldwide is tightly coupled to changes in Earth’s climate. Theory suggests that ecosystem resilience—the ability of ecosystems to resist and recover from external shocks such as droughts and fires—can be inferred from their natural variability. Here, we quantify vegetation resilience globally with complementary metrics based on two independent long-term satellite records. We first empirically confirm that the recovery rates from large perturbations can be closely approximated from internal vegetation variability across vegetation types and climate zones. On the basis of this empirical relationship, we quantify vegetation resilience continuously and globally from 1992 to 2017. Long-term vegetation resilience trends are spatially heterogeneous, with overall increasing resilience in the tropics and decreasing resilience at higher latitudes. Shorter-term trends, however, reveal a marked shift towards a global decline in vegetation resilience since the early 2000s, particularly in the equatorial rainforest belt.

Suggested Citation

  • Taylor Smith & Dominik Traxl & Niklas Boers, 2022. "Empirical evidence for recent global shifts in vegetation resilience," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(5), pages 477-484, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:12:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1038_s41558-022-01352-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01352-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Maya Ben-Yami & Vanessa Skiba & Sebastian Bathiany & Niklas Boers, 2023. "Uncertainties in critical slowing down indicators of observation-based fingerprints of the Atlantic Overturning Circulation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Andreas Koutsodendris & Vasilis Dakos & William J. Fletcher & Maria Knipping & Ulrich Kotthoff & Alice M. Milner & Ulrich C. Müller & Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr & Oliver A. Kern & Laurin Kolb & Polina Vakhr, 2023. "Atmospheric CO2 forcing on Mediterranean biomes during the past 500 kyrs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Jiaxin Mi & Huping Hou & Zhifeng Jin & Xiaoyan Yang & Yifei Hua, 2023. "Long-Term Impact of Ground Deformation on Vegetation in an Underground Mining Area: Its Mechanism and Suggestions for Revegetation," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Shan Gao & J. Julio Camarero & Flurin Babst & Eryuan Liang, 2023. "Global tree growth resilience to cold extremes following the Tambora volcanic eruption," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    5. Taylor Smith & Niklas Boers, 2023. "Global vegetation resilience linked to water availability and variability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Timothy M. Lenton & Jesse F. Abrams & Annett Bartsch & Sebastian Bathiany & Chris A. Boulton & Joshua E. Buxton & Alessandra Conversi & Andrew M. Cunliffe & Sophie Hebden & Thomas Lavergne & Benjamin , 2024. "Remotely sensing potential climate change tipping points across scales," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

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