TY - JOUR
T1 - Tropical dry forest resilience and water use efficiency: an analysis of productivity under climate change
AU - Stan, Kayla D.
AU - Sánchez-Azofeifa, G. Arturo
AU - Duran, Sandra M.
AU - Guzmán Q., J. Antonio
AU - Hesketh, Michael
AU - Laakso, Kati
AU - Portillo-Quintero, Carlos
AU - Rankine, Cassidy
AU - Doetterl, Sebastian
PY - 2021/4/27
Y1 - 2021/4/27
N2 - Tropical dry forests (TDFs) worldwide have an environment-sensitive phenological signal, which easily marks their response to the changing climatic conditions, especially precipitation and temperature. Using TDF phenological characteristics as a proxy, this study aims to evaluate their current continental response to climate change across the Americas. Here, we show that TDFs are resilient to water stress and droughts by increasing their rain use efficiency (RUE) in drier years and recovering to average RUE in the year following the drought. Additionally, we find that TDF productivity trends over the past 18 years are spatially clustered, with sites in the northern hemisphere experiencing increased productivity, while equatorial regions have no change, and the southern hemisphere exhibiting decreased productivity. The results indicate that the TDF will be resilient under future climatic conditions, particularly if there are increasing drought conditions.
AB - Tropical dry forests (TDFs) worldwide have an environment-sensitive phenological signal, which easily marks their response to the changing climatic conditions, especially precipitation and temperature. Using TDF phenological characteristics as a proxy, this study aims to evaluate their current continental response to climate change across the Americas. Here, we show that TDFs are resilient to water stress and droughts by increasing their rain use efficiency (RUE) in drier years and recovering to average RUE in the year following the drought. Additionally, we find that TDF productivity trends over the past 18 years are spatially clustered, with sites in the northern hemisphere experiencing increased productivity, while equatorial regions have no change, and the southern hemisphere exhibiting decreased productivity. The results indicate that the TDF will be resilient under future climatic conditions, particularly if there are increasing drought conditions.
KW - tropical dry forests
KW - productivity
KW - integrated enhanced vegetation index
KW - water use efficiency
KW - climate change
KW - resilience
KW - drought recovery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105725791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1748-9326/abf6f3
DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/abf6f3
M3 - Article
VL - 16
JO - ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
JF - ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
SN - 0013-9351
IS - 5
M1 - 054027
ER -