Urbanization imprint on land surface phenology: The urban–rural gradient analysis for Chinese cities. (28th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jia, Wenxiao; Zhao, Shuqing; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Liu, Shuguang; Henebry, Geoffrey M.; Liu, Lingling
• Is Part Of: Global change biology. Volume 27:Number 12(2021)
• Page Start: 2895
• Page End: 2904
• Publication Date: 2021-03-28
• Subjects: climate change -- land surface phenology -- temperature sensitivity -- urban environment -- urban warming -- urbanization intensity; Climatic changes -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Troposphere -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Biodiversity conservation -- Periodicals; Eutrophication -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15602
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-1013

Abstract

Abstract: Rising temperature shifts plant phenology. Chinese cities, experiencing extensive expansion and intensive warming, spanning a wide latitudinal range, might provide ideal experimental opportunities for observing and predicting phenological responses to warming temperature. Using the urban–rural gradient approach, we explored urbanization imprint on land surface phenology across the entire urbanization intensity (UI) gradient ranging from 0% to 100% in 343 Chinese cities using the VIIRS Land Surface Phenology along with MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) products. We found prevalent advancing and delaying trends for the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) with increasing UI across 343 Chinese cities, respectively. Overall, the phenology shifted earlier by 8.6 ± 0.54 days for SOS, later by 1.3 ± 0.51 days for EOS, and lengthened by 9.9 ± 0.77 days for the growing season length (GSL) in urban core areas (UI above 50%) relative to their rural counterparts (UI lower than 1%). The temperature sensitivity of SOS and EOS was 10.5 ± 0.25 days earlier and 2.9 ± 0.16 days later per 1°C LST increase in spring and autumn, respectively. Moreover, the northern cities witnessed higher temperature sensitivity for SOS and EOS than the southern ones. Both spring and autumn temperature sensitivity across these 343 cities would likely decrease with future urban warming, suggesting any projections of future phenological responses to continued warming must be approached with caution. Abstract : Prevalent advancing and delaying trends existed for the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) with increasing urbanization intensity (UI) across 343 Chinese cities, respectively. Overall, the growing season length (GSL) lengthened by 9.9 ± 0.77 days due to the 8.6 ± 0.54 days earlier SOS and 1.3 ± 0.51 days later EOS in urban core relative to rural areas. Both spring and autumn temperature sensitivity across these 343 cities would likely decrease with future urban warming, suggesting any projections of future phenological responses to continued warming must be approached with caution.