Seminar talk @ Cary Institute - Monitoring plant seasonality from space

Plant phenology—the timing of plants’ life cycle events such as spring leaf development and fall senescence—controls photosynthesis duration and affects global carbon cycling. Evidence shows that plant phenology has been significantly altered globally due to climate change; such phenological shifts could have important consequences in large-scale ecological processes and in turn affect climate change. However, our current knowledge of how environmental factors interact with plant phenology to control carbon productivity is still incomplete. In this presentation, Dr. Xiaojie Gao will share their recent research in observing long-term plant phenology for large spatial regions using satellite remote sensing, exploring the relationships between plant phenology and carbon sequestration and storage, and discussing challenges and opportunities in investigating phenological mechanisms.