Biozones of Patagonia (Argentina)
Abstract
We present a classification of Patagonian ecosystems based on functional attributes derived from the seasonal curves of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), calculated from spectral data provided by the NOAA/AVHRR satellites. The attributes used were the annual integral, the relative range of NDVI, and the date of maximum NOW. These attributes capture critical aspects of the seasonal dynamics of carbon gains and allow for a good description of the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem function in temperate areas. Our analysis defined 12 biozones that capture current ecosystem functioning. The units defined showed a good agreement with previously defined phytogeographical provinces. Mapping biozones based on attributes derived from satellite data does not require assumptions on the relationship between vegetation units and environmental features. This reduces the errors associated to the lack of correlation between the vegetation and environmental features.
References
Bisigato, A.J. and M.B. Bertiller. 1997. Grazing effects on patchy dryland vegetation in northen Patagonia. Journal of Arid Environments 36:639-653.
Boelcke, O., D.M. Moore andF. Roig. 1985. Transecta botánica de laPatagonia Austral. CONICET, Buenos Aires.
Borelli, P.R., F.J. Anglesio, C.A. Baetti, C.A. Cheppi, M.H.Iacomini and A.E. Ramstrom. 1988.Condición de pastizales en el sudeste de Santa Cruz (Patagonia). Revista Argentina de Producción Animal 8:201-13.
Cabrera, A.L. 1976.RegionesFitogeogrdficas Argentinas. Pp. 1-85.In:Enciclopedia Argentina de Agricultura y Jardineria. Editorial ACME. Buenos Aires.
Hauman,L. 1926.Etude phytogeographique de la Patagonie. Buletin Societe Royal Botanique Belgique 58:105- 180.
Hord, M. 1982. Digitalimage processing of remotely sensed data. Academic Press, New York. 225 pp.
James, M.E. and S.N.V. Kalluri. 1994. The pathfinder AVHRR land data set: an improved coarse resolution data set for terrestrial monitoring. International Journal of RemoteSensing 15:3347-63.
Jobbágy,E.G., J.M. Paruelo and R.J.C. León. 1996. Vegetation heterogeneity and diversity in flat and mountain landscapes of Patagonia. Journal of Vegetation Science 7:599-608.
Jobbágy,E.G.,O.Sala, and J.M.Paruelo.in press. Patterns and Controls of Primary Production in the Patagonian Steppe: A Remote Sensing Approach. Ecology .
Leon, R.J.C. and M.R. Aguiar. 1985. El deterioro por use pasturil en estepas herbáceas patagónicas. Phytocoenologia 13:181-96.
León, R.J.C. and J.M. Facelli. 1981. Descripción de una coenoclina en el SO de lChubut. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía 2:163-171.
León, R.J.C., D. Bran, M. Collantes ,J.M. Paruelo and A. Soriano. 1998. Grandes unidades de vegetación de la Patagonia extra andina. Ecología Austral 8:125-144.
Loveland, T.R.,J.W. Merchant, D.O. Ohlen and J.F.Brown. 1991. Development of a land cover characteristics database for the conterminous US. Photogrammetric Engeneering and Remote Sensing 57:453-63.
Malanson, G.P., W.E. Westman and Y.L. Yan. 1992. Realized versus fundamental niche functions in a model of chaparral response to climatic change. Ecological Modelling 64:261-77.
Malingreau,J.P. 1986. Global vegetation dynamics,satellite observations over Asia. International Journal of Remote Sensing 7:1121-46.
Milchunas, D.G. and W.K. Lauenroth. 1995. Inertia in plant community structure: State changes after cessation of nutrient enrichment stress. Ecological Applications 5:1995.
Paruelo, J.M., M.R. Aguiar, R.A. Golluscio, R.J.C. León and G. Pujol. 1993. Environmental controls of the NDVI dynamics in Patagonia based on NOAA-AVHRR satellite data. Journal of Vegetation Science 4:425-8.
Paruelo, J.M., M.R. Aguiar, R.J.C. León, R.A. Golluscio and W.B. Batista. 1991. The use of satellite imagery in quantitative phytogeography: a case study of Patagonia (Argentina). Pp. 183-204. In: Quantitative Approaches to Phytogeography. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Hague.
Paruelo, J.M., H.E. Epstein, W.K. Lauenroth and I.C. Burke. 1997. ANPP estimates from NDVI for the Central Grassland region of the US. Ecology 78:953-8.
Paruelo, J.M., E.G. Jobbágy, O.E. Sala, W.K. Lauenroth and I.C. Burke. 1998. Functional and structural convergence of temperate grassland and shrubland ecosystems. Ecological Applications 8:194-206.
Paruelo, J.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 1995. Regional patterns of NDVI in North American shrublands and grasslands. Ecology 76:1888-98.
Paruelo, J.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 1998. Interannual variability of the NDVI curves and their climatic controls in North American shrublands and grasslands. Journal of Biogeography 25:721-733.
Pennington, W. 1986. Lagsin adjustment of vegetation to climate caused by the pace ofsoil development: evidence from Britain. Vegetatio 67:105-18.
Perelman, S.B., R.J.C. León and J.P. Bussacca. 1997. Floristic changes related to grazing intensity in a Patagonian shrub steppe. Ecography 20:400-406.
Prince, S.D. 1991. A model of regional primary production for use with coarse resolution satellite data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 12:1313-30.
Sellers,P.J., J.A. Berry, G.J. Collatz, C.B.Field andF.G. Hall. 1992. Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis, and transpiration. 111. A reanalysis using improved leaf models and a new canopy integration scheme. Remote Sensing of the Environment 42:187-216.
Soriano, A. 1956. Los distritos florísticos de la Provincia Patagónica. Revista Investigaciones Agropecuarias 10:323-47.
Soriano, A. and J.M.Paruelo. 1992. Biozones: vegetation units defined by functional characters identifiable with the aid of satellite sensor images. Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters 2:82-9.
Tou,J.T. and R.C. González. 1974.Pattern recognition principles. Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, Reading Massachussetts.
Tucker, C.J., J.R. Townshend and T.E. Goff. 1985a. African land-cover classification using satellite data. Science 227:369-75.
Tucker, C.J., C.V. Vanpraet, M.J.Sharman and G. VanIttersum. 1985b.Satellite Remote Sensing of Total Herbaceous Biomass Production in the Senegalese Sahel: 1980-1984. Remote Sensing of Environment 17:233-49.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain their rights as follows: 1) by granting the journal the right to its first publication, and 2) by registering the published article with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which allows authors and third parties to view and use it as long as they clearly mention its origin (citation or reference, including authorship and first publication in this journal). Authors can make other non-exclusive distribution agreements as long as they clearly indicate their origin and are encouraged to widely share and disseminate the published version of their work.