Vegetation photosynthetic phenology dataset in northern terrestrial ecosystems

Vegetation phenology can profoundly modulate the climate-biosphere interactions and thus plays a crucial role in regulating the terrestrial carbon cycle and the climate. However, most previous phenology studies rely on traditional vegetation indices, which are inadequate to characterize the seasonal activity of photosynthesis. Here, we generated an annual vegetation photosynthetic phenology dataset with a spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees from 2001 to 2020, using the latest gross primary productivity product based on solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (GOSIF-GPP). We combined smoothing splines with multiple change-point detection to retrieve the phenology metrics: start of the growing season (SOS), end of the growing season (EOS), and length of growing season (LOS) for terrestrial ecosystems above 30 degrees N latitude (Northern Biomes). Our phenology product can be used to validate and develop phenology or carbon cycle models and monitor the climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.

Automated summary

Vegetation phenology, crucial in regulating the terrestrial carbon cycle and climate, has often been studied using inadequate traditional vegetation indices. In this study, we used the latest gross primary productivity product based on solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (GOSIF-GPP) to create an annual vegetation photosynthetic phenology dataset from 2001 to 2020 at a spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees. We employed smoothing splines and multiple change-point detection to retrieve phenology metrics for terrestrial ecosystems above 30 degrees N latitude (Northern Biomes), including the start of the growing season (SOS), end of the growing season (EOS), and length of growing season (LOS). Our phenology product can be valuable for validating and developing phenology or carbon cycle models, as well as monitoring climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.