Comparing the performance of phenocam GCC, MODIS GCC, and MODIS EVI for retrieving vegetation phenology and estimating gross primary production

• Published in: Ecological indicators 2024-09, Vol.166, p.112251, Article 112251
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jingru, Xiao, Jingfeng, Tong, Xiaojuan, Zhang, Jinsong, Li, Jun, Liu, Peirong, Yu, Peiyang, Meng, Ping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Deciduous broadleaf forest; Grassland; Green chromatic coordinate; Gross primary production; Phenocam; Phenology
• ISSN: 1470-160X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112251

•GCC, GCCMODIS, and EVI-estimated phenology presented comparable performance in estimating phenological events.•Both GCCMODIS and EVI performed better than GCC in simulating GPP at the DBF and GRA sites.•GCCMODIS could be utilized as an effective tool for extracting vegetation phenology and estimating ecosystem GPP. Vegetation phenology serves as an important indicator for climate change and plays a crucial role in affecting the terrestrial water, energy, and carbon cycles. The green chromatic coordinate (GCC) obtained from digital repeat photographs has been widely applied in estimating phenology from the perspective of greenness, while the performance of satellite derived GCC is not well understood. We used flux tower GPP from seven deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) and three grassland (GRA) sites over the Northern Hemisphere. The aim was to compare phenological events with GCC (obtained from digital repeat photographs and satellite remote sensing (GCCMODIS)) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Meanwhile, we also explored the performance of these three indices in simulating GPP utilizing the light use efficiency (LUE) model at the DBF and GRA sites. Phenology retrieved by GCC, GCCMODIS, and EVI was all significantly correlated with GPP-estimated values at all sites (P