TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal and spatial vegetation cover changes in Israeli transition zone
T2 - AVHRR-based assessment of rainfall impact
AU - Schmidt, H.
AU - Gitelson, A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially funded by the European Community ( Project REMEDES ENV4-CT95-0094 ). The facilities of the Remote Sensing Laboratory, the Jacob-Blaustein Institute for Desert Research were used. We wish to thank Sveta Gilerman and Yuri Griz for their essential assistance.
PY - 2000/3/20
Y1 - 2000/3/20
N2 - The ability of NOAA/AVHRR data to monitor vegetation response to rainfall in three different vegetation zones was assessed along a north-south transect in Israel. The NDVI database was developed from atmospherically- and radiometrically-corrected NDVI composites from observations spanning three years. Three vegetation zones, Mediterranean region, transition zone, and semi-arid region, were geographically separated by means of NDVI values. Based on three years of AVHRR observations during a relatively dry year and two years with near average rainfall, the phenological characteristics for all three vegetation zones were very similar and stable. The results showed that only a few AVHRR observations are necessary to monitor the seasonal and spatial variability of vegetation cover in different climatic zones located in Israel. The NDVI of the Israeli transition zone was found to be very sensitive to rainfall. The difference between maximum and minimum NDVI values in rainy season in the transition zone was at least two times higher than that in the Mediterranean and the semi-arid regions. This phenomenon can be used as an indicator of any environmental changes in this region.
AB - The ability of NOAA/AVHRR data to monitor vegetation response to rainfall in three different vegetation zones was assessed along a north-south transect in Israel. The NDVI database was developed from atmospherically- and radiometrically-corrected NDVI composites from observations spanning three years. Three vegetation zones, Mediterranean region, transition zone, and semi-arid region, were geographically separated by means of NDVI values. Based on three years of AVHRR observations during a relatively dry year and two years with near average rainfall, the phenological characteristics for all three vegetation zones were very similar and stable. The results showed that only a few AVHRR observations are necessary to monitor the seasonal and spatial variability of vegetation cover in different climatic zones located in Israel. The NDVI of the Israeli transition zone was found to be very sensitive to rainfall. The difference between maximum and minimum NDVI values in rainy season in the transition zone was at least two times higher than that in the Mediterranean and the semi-arid regions. This phenomenon can be used as an indicator of any environmental changes in this region.
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U2 - 10.1080/014311600210399
DO - 10.1080/014311600210399
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034689461
SN - 0143-1161
VL - 21
SP - 997
EP - 1010
JO - International Journal of Remote Sensing
JF - International Journal of Remote Sensing
IS - 5
ER -