Diurnal Vegetation Moisture Cycle in the Amazon and Response to Water Stress

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 2024-10, Vol.51 (19), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Asgarimehr, Milad, Entekhabi, Dara, Camps, Adriano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amazon; Arid environments; Aridity; Diurnal; drought; Dry season; Global navigation satellite system; GNSS reflectometry; Moisture content; Morning; Navigation; Navigation satellites; Navigation systems; Navigational satellites; Peatlands; Plant layout; Plant water; Plants; Rainforests; Rainy season; Reflectometry; Remote sensing; Remote sensing techniques; Sampling; Satellite observation; Satellites; Sensing techniques; Sensors; Spacecraft recovery; Temperature rise; Vapor pressure; Vapour pressure; Vegetation; vegetation water content; Water; Water content; Water level fluctuations; Water levels; Water potential; Water stress
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/2024GL111462

Water stress in the Amazon is exacerbated by rising temperatures and reduced moisture levels. However, understanding forest responses to increased aridity is hindered by limited in situ water potential observations in the Amazon. Remote sensing of water content has emerged as a promising metric. Vegetation Water Content (VWC) diurnal dynamics is hypothesized to reflect water stress responses. Conventional sensors' low sampling rates impede capturing and studying sub‐daily VWC dynamics. Leveraging Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS‐R) with unprecedented sampling rates, this study reveals significant disparities in morning and evening VWCs in the Amazon, for example, by ≈ ${\approx} $1.1 and 1.0 kg/m2 ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ during the wet and dry seasons of 2019. A strong correlation (R=0.8) $(R=0.8)$ between Δ ${\Delta }$VWC (the difference between evening and morning VWCs) and vapor pressure deficit is observed in Amazonian peatland. This highlights the potential of VWC from innovative remote sensing techniques in elucidating water stress dynamics in critical ecosystems. Plain Language Summary In the Amazon rainforest, rising temperatures and decreasing moisture levels are causing plants to experience more water stress. However, scientists have struggled to understand how the forests are responding to these drier conditions as direct measurements of plant moisture content do not provide sufficient coverage. Recently, researchers have started using satellites to measure water in plants, which could help us understand how they are coping with the lack of water. However, conventional sensors hardly offer measurements often enough to capture the daily changes in plant water levels. This study uses a novel satellite observation technique, Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry, that offers measurements with unprecedented frequency. It is found that there are significant differences in plants' water content in the morning compared to the evening in the Amazon, for example, by ≈ ${\approx} $1.1 and 1.0 kg/m2 ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ during the wet and dry seasons of 2019. This study reveals that the difference level responds significantly to environmental aridity. As a result, novel satellite methods could help us better understand how water stress is affecting the Amazon rainforest. Key Points Global Navigation Satellite System Refractometry offers unprecedented sampling, unveiling Amazon's diurnal vegetation water content Vegetation water co