Summer 2022 in Europe was exceptionally hot and dry, causing significant impacts on forest ecosystems. To assess this, we used Sentinel-2 satellite images spanning from May 2018 to October 2023, focusing on 16 tree species in Trentino, Italy, ranging from 100 to 2000 metres a.s.l.. Our analysis revealed a noteworthy decline (over 70%) in 2022 NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) values compared to the 2018-2023 average for species in lower elevations with coarse-textured soil, such as Quercus ilex, a Mediterranean evergreen oak. However, species at higher elevations, like Picea abies, displayed either no change or even an increase in 2022 NDVI values, indicating that low temperatures remain the primary limiting factor for temperate and subalpine forest growth in the Alps, rather than water availability. NDVI values for 2023 indicated that, while in the majority of the analysed locations there was a complete recovery, in few areas trees died
Dalponte, M.; Andreatta, D.; Belelli Marchesini, L.; Marinelli, D.; Vescovo, L.; Gianelle, D. (2023). Assessing the impact of the 2022 summer drought on forests of the Italian Alps through remote sensing vegetation indices. In: BES Annual Meeting 2023, Belfast, UK, 12-15 December 2023. handle: https://hdl.handle.net/10449/83497
Assessing the impact of the 2022 summer drought on forests of the Italian Alps through remote sensing vegetation indices
Dalponte, M.
Primo
;Andreatta, D.;Belelli Marchesini, L.;Marinelli, D.;Vescovo, L.;Gianelle, D.Ultimo
2023-01-01
Abstract
Summer 2022 in Europe was exceptionally hot and dry, causing significant impacts on forest ecosystems. To assess this, we used Sentinel-2 satellite images spanning from May 2018 to October 2023, focusing on 16 tree species in Trentino, Italy, ranging from 100 to 2000 metres a.s.l.. Our analysis revealed a noteworthy decline (over 70%) in 2022 NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) values compared to the 2018-2023 average for species in lower elevations with coarse-textured soil, such as Quercus ilex, a Mediterranean evergreen oak. However, species at higher elevations, like Picea abies, displayed either no change or even an increase in 2022 NDVI values, indicating that low temperatures remain the primary limiting factor for temperate and subalpine forest growth in the Alps, rather than water availability. NDVI values for 2023 indicated that, while in the majority of the analysed locations there was a complete recovery, in few areas trees died
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