Developing a global model of leaf phenology and photosynthetic activity
Supervisors:
- Lina Mercado – Geography, University of Exeter
- Sandy Harrison – Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading
- Tristan Quaife – Meteorology, University of Reading
- France Gerard – Senior Scientist at Centre of Ecology and Hydrology
Funding:
Start date:
- October 2015
Abstract:
Timing of phenological events (e.g. bud-burst and leaf abscission) play a key role in determining the seasonal cycle of carbon and water exchanges with the atmosphere. Yet, the treatment of vegetation phenology is identified as a major shortcoming of current land-surface and vegetation models.
This project aims to use remotely sensed observations, which provide time series of phenological events, along with experimental information on the roles of temperature and photoperiodic triggers, to develop theoretically and empirically well-founded representations of leaf and photosynthetic phenology. The resulting model will be suitable for inclusion in a land-surface model such as JULES.