Advanced leaf-out, or early sprouting and opening leaves, is a direct response to climate change.
Advanced leaf-out, or early sprouting and opening leaves, is a direct response to climate change. In northern hemisphere, leaf-out has advanced at a rate of 4-5 days per decade on average since 1980s, according to synthesis of over 40 satellite-derived phenology studies across decades and regions. Scientists are curious to know if, in turn, this advancement would affect climate by modulating seasonal cycles of surface energy, water, and carbon budgets.
A new study, published in Nature Climate Change on Feb 17, 2020 showed that advanced leaf-out enhances annual surface warming in the Northern Hemisphere. The study was carried out by researchers at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics with collaborators from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.
"There are many studies of how vegetation is affected by climate change. However, impact of vegetation change on climate is underemphasized." said Dr. XU Xiyan, the first author of the study.
Read more at Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Image: Woodland leaf-out along tree line demonstrates contrasting canopy greenness before and after leaf-out. (Credit: Gengsuo Jia)
