基于MODIS植被指数的藏北高原植被物候空间分布特征

基于非对称高斯拟合算法重建了2001-2010年的MODIS EVI时间序列影像,利用动态阈值法提取2001-2010年各年藏北高原植被覆盖的关键物候参数(生长季峰值、返青期、枯黄期及生长季长度),并在此基础上分析了藏北高原植被覆盖的物候参数空间分布特征.结果表明:植被生长季EVImax、物候返青期及生长季长度均表现出从东南到西北过渡的水平地带性与东南高山峡谷区的垂直地带性相结合的空间格局;对于不同地表覆盖类型,EVImax、返青期、生长季长度均呈现农林混合区＞林灌区＞草甸＞草原＞荒漠草原的特征,枯黄期除农林混合区较迟外,其他4种地表覆盖类型时间接近;对于不同气候区划,植被生长季EVImax、返青期、生长季长度表现出半湿润区→半干旱区→干旱区的递变规律;研究区内植被物候受地形影响较大,随着海拔的升高,植被生长季EVImax降低、物候返青期推迟、生长季长度减小.     

祁连山不同植被类型的物候变化及其对气候的响应

基于1982—2006年GIMMS NDVI和2000—2014年MODIS NDVI遥感数据,利用double logistic拟合方法提取了1982—2014年祁连山区不同植被的生长季始期、生长季末期和生长季长度3个重要的物候参数,分析了不同植被物候期的时间变化趋势、空间分异特征及对气候因子的响应。结果表明:(1)祁连山区不同植被的生长季始期和生长季末期随年际变化表现出波动提前或推迟,其中沼泽植被的变化波动最大;草甸植被、灌丛植被、阔叶林植被和栽培植被生长季长度出现延长趋势;(2)祁连山区植被生长季始期集中在5月初,其中阔叶林植被生长季开始最早,荒漠植被生长季开始最晚,植被生长季末期集中在9月,栽培植被生长季结束较早,荒漠植被、沼泽植被生长季结束较晚,植被生长季长度集中在110—140 d,其中阔叶林植被、针叶林植被生长季长度较长,而荒漠植被、高山植被生长季长度较短;(3)祁连山植被物候期变化趋势的空间分布表明植被生长季始期、生长季末期主要表现为提前不明显和推迟不明显,生长季长度主要表现为缩短不明显和延长不明显;(4)物候要素与气候要素相关性表明前期温度的积累有利于植被的开始生长,但当年3月的降水量对植被生长季始期同样有重要作用,不同植被生长季末期与8月、9月温度相关性较大,而与10月、11月降水的相关性较大。     

青海湖流域草地植被动态变化趋势下的物候时空特征

植被物候不仅直接受气候变化的影响,还反作用于气候变化。因此,明确植被物候变化的驱动机制对于进一步研究气候变化与物候的相互作用具有重要的意义。选取位于青藏高原东北部的青海湖流域,利用MODIS 16d增强植被指数(EVI)合成数据,来分析草地物候时空格局特征以及不同EVImax变化趋势下草地物候期(返青期、枯黄期及生长季)的变化趋势。研究得到以下结果:(1)在气候变化和人类活动等因素的共同作用下,青海湖流域的EVImax变化呈现多元化趋势,EVImax增加、不变、降低趋势并存;(2)1990—2012年期间,流域内温度上升、降水量增加趋势显著,温度上升速率为0.42—0.83℃/10a,降水量增加速率为43.20—44.68 mm/10a。刚察、天峻气象站草地返青期在2001—2012年期间呈现延迟趋势,枯黄期变化趋势不显著,生长季呈现缩短趋势;(3)流域内草地返青从4月下旬持续到6月上旬,枯黄期从8月中旬持续到10月上旬,青海湖东岸、南岸、布哈河入湖口区域以及流域西部山坡和平坦的谷底地区牧草最早进入返青期,返青空间格局呈现由湖岸向四周高海拔地区延伸趋势,草地枯黄空间格局与返青期相反;(4)不同EVImax变化趋势下,草地返青期、枯黄期、生长季变化趋势表现出差异。草地EVImax降低趋势下,牧草返青期呈现提前趋势,枯黄期延迟,生长季延长;EVImax增加趋势下,牧草返青期延迟,枯黄期变化不明显,生长季缩短;EVImax不变区、农田的返青与枯黄期变化趋势并不明显,但是农田生长季缩短趋势较明显。     

滇中城市群植被物候时空变化及其对城市化的响应

植被物候是响应外界环境变化的重要感应器，本文基于MOD13Q1 EVI数据，采用动态阈值法提取滇中城市群2001—2020年的植被物候参数，即生长季开始期、生长季结束期和生长季长度，揭示植被物候时空变化特征及城乡差异。结果表明：2001—2020年，滇中城市群植被总体呈现生长季开始期推迟、生长季结束期推迟(每年推迟0.66 d)和生长季长度延长的现象；相较于郊区和乡村地区，城区植被近20年的生长季开始期提前(每年1.05 d),生长季结束期推迟(每年0.91 d),生长季长度延长(每年1.79 d)。在城区-郊区-乡村梯度上，植被物候表现出显著的差异性，城区植被平均每年生长季开始期最早，结束期最早，且生长季长度最长，尤其在城区及向外0～2 km范围内变化最明显。随人口密度、人均GDP和建成区面积占比的增大，城区植被物候生长季开始期显著提前，生长季结束期显著推迟，生长季长度显著延长。植被各物候期及其持续时间在城区-郊区-乡村梯度上对环境变化的敏感度不同，研究区人口密度和建成区面积占比对滇中城市群植被生长季结束期的推迟有重要影响。     

藏北高原典型植被样区物候变化及其对气候变化的响应

植被物候作为陆地生态系统对气候变化的响应和反馈的重要指示,已成为区域或全球生态环境领域研究的热点。基于非对称高斯拟合方法重建了2001—2010年MODIS EVI时间序列影像,利用动态阈值法提取藏北高原植被覆盖2001—2010年每年关键物候参数。选取研究区内东部高寒灌丛草甸、中部高寒草甸及西部高寒草原和高寒荒漠4种典型植被类型,并结合附近的4个气象台站气候资料,分析典型植被物候在近10a对关键气候因子的响应特征。研究结果表明:(1)4种不同典型植被的物候特征(EVImax降低、返青期延后和生长季长度缩短)均表现出高寒灌丛草甸→高寒草甸→高寒草原→高寒荒漠草原的过渡;(2)藏北高原近10a的年平均气温及春、夏、冬三个季度的平均气温均呈显著升高的趋势,升温幅度在0.8—3.9℃/10a,降水减少趋势不显著,在这种水热条件下典型植被均表现出返青提前(7.2—15.5d/10a)、生长季延长(8.4—19.2d/10a)的趋势,而枯黄出现时间为年际间自然波动;(3)高寒灌丛草甸EVImax主要受春季降水量和气温影响,且降水的影响程度大于气温;对高寒草甸植被而言,春、夏季的气温和降水均有较大的影响;而高寒草原和高寒荒漠草原主要受夏季平均气温和降水量影响;(4)高寒灌丛草甸的返青时间主要受前一年秋季降水量的影响,相关系数达-0.579;而高寒草甸、高寒草原和高寒荒漠草原主要受春季平均气温影响,高寒荒漠草原的特征最为明显(r=-0.559)。     

物候变化对北美温带落叶阔叶林生态系统生产力的影响

数据源、时间范围、空间尺度等的差异导致许多物候变化对陆地生态系统碳收支影响的研究缺少可比性。该文基于4级碳通量填充数据, 采用相对阈值方法提取了两个北美典型温带阔叶林站Harvard Forest (HF)和University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS)共20年的物候参数(返青期、枯黄期和生长季长度), 并研究了物候变化对生态系统生产力的影响。结果表明: 1)生长季长度的延长对年累积总初级生产力(GPP)有显著贡献, 但由于呼吸作用(RE)的干扰, 生长季长度变化对年净生态系统生产力(NEP)的影响并不显著; 2)返青期的提前对上半年生态系统总初级生产力的贡献最为显著, 二者的相关系数分别为0.76 (HF)和0.93 (UMBS); 3)枯黄期的延迟对生产力的影响并不显著; 4)随着春季返青期的提前或秋季枯黄期的延迟, 上、下半年GPP和RE的累积量虽均有增加趋势, 但由于各自增加的幅度不确定, 导致年NEP与二者的响应关系复杂。     

京津冀地区植被物候时空变化及其对城市化的响应

温度在调节植被物候的变化中起着重要作用,气候变暖和城市化均会对温度产生影响进而影响植被物候。基于京津冀地区2001—2020年的归一化植被指数(NDVI)时间序列影像,参照物候观测站点监测数据,采用动态阈值法提取出研究区关键物候参数,即生长季始期(SOG)、生长季结束期(EOG)和生长季的长度(LOG),分析近20年京津冀地区耕地、林地、草地不同植被的物候时空变化特征及其城乡差异,从而探讨植被物候对城市化的响应。结果表明：(1)耕地SOG分布呈现双波峰现象,林地和草地的SOG相对集中,3种植被的EOG的分布均较为集中;2001—2020年京津冀大部分地区的SOG提前,EOG推迟,LOG呈现延长的态势。(2)从城乡梯度物候差异的空间分布特征来看,整体而言耕地、林地、草地3种植被类型的城区物候与农村相比都存在SOG提前,EOG推迟的情况,并且城区与农村的物候差异幅度要明显大于城乡过渡带与农村的物候差异。(3)从城乡梯度物候差异的时间分布特征来看,2001—2020年间,研究区中新老城区、城乡过渡带和农村的SOG提前,EOG推迟,LOG延长,但耕地、林地、草地3种植被物候参数的城乡差异在逐年...     

基于NOAA/AVHRR NDVI 监测中国北方典型草原的生长季及变化

 该研究基于Savitzky_Golay滤波算法平滑了1982～1999年NOAA/AVHRR NDVI 时间序列影像,然后利用曲线拟合了锡林郭勒典型草原1982～1999年的每年物候期（返青期、黄枯期）及18年的平均物候期和生长季长度,并对1982～1999年的物候期进行了线性拟合,从而分析了物候期的变化趋势。结果表明：1）1982、1986、1992年的返青期处于正常水平,1985、1988、1989、1991年大部分地区的牧草返青期比正常年份有所提前。1984、1990、1993 年的黄枯期处于正常水平,大部分年份的黄枯期主要处于9月下旬至10月上旬（290～310 d）。2）在整个典型草原,返青期有较大的变异性,而黄枯期变化表现出了锡林郭勒典型草原的西南部较早、中部及东北部较晚的格局,生长季长度的变化格局为西南地区最短,中部地区最长。3）从1982～1999年,不同的地区表现出物候期及生长季长度提前或延迟的变化趋势,返青期大多数地区延迟时间集中在10～20 d,提前日期主要集中在10 d之内。锡林郭勒盟西南地区的黄枯期提前趋势最大。大部分地区的生长季长度变化呈缩短趋势,缩短日期小于 10 d,少部分地区的生长季延长,延长日期主要集中在0～10 d。4）对锡林浩特的物候期研究表明,牧草返青期提前日期小于10 d,黄枯期延迟大约14±5 d,生长季长度延迟大约1 5±5 d。最后利用野外观测数据对锡林浩特牧草返青期的拟合精度作出了评价。     

内蒙古主要草原类型植物物候对气候波动的响应

物候是气候变化的指示者,由于不同地区植被类型不同,导致其对气候波动的响应方式不同。利用2004—2013年内蒙古草原区生态监测站群落优势种物候观测资料和同时段的气象资料,分析了不同草原类型区优势种物候期变化及其与气候因子间的相互关系,结果表明:(1)2004—2013年内蒙古草原区各时段气候波动趋势均不显著,返青前以气温降低、降水增加趋势为主;黄枯前草甸草原、典型草原以气温降低、降水增加趋势为主,荒漠草原变化趋势相反。(2)2004—2013年典型草原植物返青期平均提前4.01 d,黄枯推后10.35 d,生长季延长14.36 d;草甸草原返青期提前2.04 d,黄枯期推后12.68 d,生长季延长14.72 d;荒漠草原物候变化趋势最小,返青期平均提前了1.32 d,黄枯期平均推后了9.58 d,生长季延长了10.90 d。(3)内蒙古草原区植物返青期主要受气温波动的影响,草甸草原返青期与前3个月平均气温的负相关最为显著,气温每升高1℃,返青期约提前1.123 d;典型草原、荒漠草原返青期与前2个月平均气温的负相关最为显著气,气温每升高1℃,返青期约提前1.137 d和1.743 d。(4)典型草原区植物黄枯期受前1—2月平均气温和累积降水的共同影响,与夏季平均气温和当月降水量的相关最为显著,夏季气温每升高1℃,黄枯期约提前2.250 d,当月降水每增加1 mm,黄枯期约推后0.119 d。草甸草原、荒漠草原植物黄枯期与各时段降水、气温的相关均不显著,影响黄枯机制比较复杂。     

近20年青藏高原东北部禾本科牧草生育期变化特征

利用1988—2010年青藏高原东北部地区5个站点牧草生育期地面观测数据,分析了近20年代表性牧草返青、开花、黄枯期及生长季的变化趋势,并通过偏相关分析探讨了气温和降水对牧草生育期的关系。结果表明,近20年青藏高原东北部牧草生育期北部推迟南部提前的特征明显。南部的三江源区域返青、开花与黄枯期总体呈显著提前趋势,其中曲麻莱羊茅返青期提前的倾向率达到-4 d/10 a,开花期为-13 d/10 a,黄枯期达到-9 d/10 a,且均通过0.01的显著性检验水平。北部环青海湖区域的海北西北针茅生育期则表现出一定的推迟趋势。生长季长度北部地区延长,而南部除甘德(垂穗披碱草)外均呈明显缩短趋势。近20 a黄枯期的变化幅度明显大于返青期,使得生长季长度的变化更多地受黄枯期变化的影响。1月和3月气温是影响研究区牧草返青最主要的气候因子,气温增高返青提前。开花期南北差异明显,北部与同期气温呈明显负相关关系,南部则主要与开花前2—3个月的降水量密切相关,降水增多大部地区开花期提前。此外,降水也是各地牧草黄枯的主要影响因子。     

Extension of the growing season due to delayed autumn over mid and high latitudes in North America during 1982–2006

Aim We intend to characterize and understand the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation phenology shifts in North America during the period 1982–2006. Location North America. Methods A piecewise logistic model is used to extract phenological metrics from a time‐series data set of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). An extensive comparison between satellite‐derived phenological metrics and ground‐based phenology observations for 14,179 records of 73 plant species at 802 sites across North America is made to evaluate the information about phenology shifts obtained in this study. Results The spatial pattern of vegetation phenology shows a strong dependence on latitude but a substantial variation along the longitudinal gradient. A delayed dormancy onset date (0.551 days year^?1, P= 0.013) and an extended growing season length (0.683 days year^?1, P= 0.011) are found over the mid and high latitudes in North America during 1982–2006, while no significant trends in greenup onset are observed. The delayed dormancy onset date and extended growing season length are mainly found in the shrubland biome. An extensive validation indicates a strong robustness of the satellite‐derived phenology information. Main conclusions It is the delayed dormancy onset date, rather than an advanced greenup onset date, that has contributed to the prolonged length of the growing season over the mid and high latitudes in North America during recent decades. Shrublands contribute the most to the delayed dormancy onset date and the extended growing season length. This shift of vegetation phenology implies that vegetation activity in North America has been altered by climatic change, which may further affect ecosystem structure and function in the continent.     

我国东部北亚热带植物群落季相的时空变化

研究我国东部亚热带植物群落物候与气候变化的关系,对于揭示东部季风区生态系统对气候变化响应的整体特征和空间分异,具有重要的科学意义。作者利用物候累积频率拟合法对盐城、武汉、合肥、屯溪1982-1996年的植物群落季相阶段进行划分,并分析了季相阶段的时空变化及其与气温的统计关系。结果表明：（1）各站多年平均变绿期、旺盛光合期和休眠期初日均有随海拔升高而推迟的倾向,而多年平均季相阶段长度的空间分异特征不明显。休眠期初日随海拔升高而推迟的事实表明,树木秋季叶变色和落叶除受到气温的影响外,还可能与光照和霜等其它环境因素有关,从而使得海拔升高对秋季物候期提早的影响有所削弱,其生态机制有待进一步研究。（2）各站变绿期初日以提前为主,长度以延长为主;旺盛光合期和凋落期初日均以提前为主,长度延长与缩短参半;休眠期初日提前与推迟参半,长度以缩短为主。（3）各站变绿期和旺盛光合期初日与前期平均气温多呈显著负相关,而凋落期和休眠期初日与前期平均气温相关不显著。利用最佳时段气温-物候回归模型重建的1982-2006年季相阶段初日的时间序列显示,盐城、武汉和屯溪的变绿期初日呈显著提前的趋势,盐城、合肥和武汉旺盛光合期初日也呈显著提前的趋势。值得注意的是,在2002-2006年期间,各站变绿期和旺盛光合期初日均表现出明显推迟的倾向,与各地该时段前期平均气温呈下降的倾向一致。（4）从北亚热带各站到温带北部的哈尔滨,平均每向北1个纬度,多年平均变绿期和旺盛光合期初日分别显著推迟2.7-4.0 d和1.8-2.8 d,而长度则多呈不显著缩短的趋势;凋落期初日提前不显著,但长度显著缩短1.8-2.6 d;休眠期初日显著提前2.9-3.3 d,且长度显著延长5.8-7.0 d。总体上看,上述观测事实符合植物物候空间变化的一般规律,即在生长季节前半段,低纬地区的植物物候早于高纬地区;在生长季节后半段,高纬地区的植物物候早于低纬地区。     

Discrepancies in vegetation phenology trends and shift patterns in different climatic zones in middle and eastern Eurasia between 1982 and 2015

Changes in vegetation phenology directly reflect the response of vegetation growth to climate change. In this study, using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index dataset from 1982 to 2015, we extracted start date of vegetation growing season (SOS), end date of vegetation growing season (EOS), and length of vegetation growing season (LOS) in the middle and eastern Eurasia region and evaluated linear trends in SOS, EOS, and LOS for the entire study area, as well as for four climatic zones. The results show that the LOS has significantly increased by 0.27 days/year, mostly due to a significantly advanced SOS (?0.20 days/year) and a slightly delayed EOS (0.07 days/year) over the entire study area from 1982 to 2015. The vegetation phenology trends in the four climatic zones are not continuous throughout the 34‐year period. Furthermore, discrepancies in the shifting patterns of vegetation phenology trend existed among different climatic zones. Turning points (TP) of SOS trends in the Cold zone, Temperate zone, and Tibetan Plateau zone occurred in the mid‐ or late 1990s. The advanced trends of SOS in the Cold zone, Temperate zone, and Tibetan Plateau zone exhibited accelerated, stalled, and reversed patterns after the corresponding TP, respectively. The TP did not occurred in Cold‐Temperate zone, where the SOS showed a consistent and continuous advance. TPs of EOS trends in the Cold zone, Cold‐Temperate zone, Temperate zone, and Tibetan Plateau zone occurred in the late 1980s or mid‐1990s. The EOS in the Cold zone, Cold‐Temperate zone, Temperate zone, and Tibetan Plateau zone showed weak advanced or delayed trends after the corresponding TP, which were comparable with the delayed trends before the corresponding TP. The shift patterns of LOS trends were primarily influenced by the shift patterns of SOS trends and were also heterogeneous within climatic zones.     

Divergent phenological response to hydroclimate variability in forested mountain watersheds

Mountain watersheds are primary sources of freshwater, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. There is significant interest in the effects of climate change and variability on these processes over short to long time scales. Much of the impact of hydroclimate variability in forest ecosystems is manifested in vegetation dynamics in space and time. In steep terrain, leaf phenology responds to topoclimate in complex ways, and can produce specific and measurable shifts in landscape forest patterns. The onset of spring is usually delayed at a specific rate with increasing elevation (often called Hopkins' Law; Hopkins, 1918), reflecting the dominant controls of temperature on greenup timing. Contrary with greenup, leaf senescence shows inconsistent trends along elevation gradients. Here, we present mechanisms and an explanation for this variability and its significance for ecosystem patterns and services in response to climate. We use moderate‐resolution imaging spectro‐radiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to derive landscape‐induced phenological patterns over topoclimate gradients in a humid temperate broadleaf forest in southern Appalachians. These phenological patterns are validated with different sets of field observations. Our data demonstrate that divergent behavior of leaf senescence with elevation is closely related to late growing season hydroclimate variability in temperature and water balance patterns. Specifically, a drier late growing season is associated with earlier leaf senescence at low elevation than at middle elevation. The effect of drought stress on vegetation senescence timing also leads to tighter coupling between growing season length and ecosystem water use estimated from observed precipitation and runoff generation. This study indicates increased late growing season drought may be leading to divergent ecosystem response between high and low elevation forests. Landscape‐induced phenological patterns are easily observed over wide areas and may be used as a unique diagnostic for sources of ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity to hydroclimate change.     

Seasonal Response of Grasslands to Climate Change on the Tibetan Plateau

Background

Monitoring vegetation dynamics and their responses to climate change has been the subject of considerable research. This paper aims to detect change trends in grassland activity on the Tibetan Plateau between 1982 and 2006 and relate these to changes in climate.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Grassland activity was analyzed by evaluating remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected at 15-day intervals between 1982 and 2006. The timings of vegetation stages (start of green-up, beginning of the growing season, plant maturity, start of senescence and end of the growing season) were assessed using the NDVI ratio method. Mean NDVI values were determined for major vegetation stages (green-up, fast growth, maturity and senescence). All vegetation variables were linked with datasets of monthly temperature and precipitation, and correlations between variables were established using Partial Least Squares regression. Most parts of the Tibetan Plateau showed significantly increasing temperatures, as well as clear advances in late season phenological stages by several weeks. Rainfall trends and significant long-term changes in early season phenology occurred on small parts of the plateau. Vegetation activity increased significantly for all vegetation stages. Most of these changes were related to increasing temperatures during the growing season and in some cases during the previous winter. Precipitation effects appeared less pronounced. Warming thus appears to have shortened the growing season, while increasing vegetation activity.

Conclusions/Significance

Shortening of the growing season despite a longer thermally favorable period implies that vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau is unable to exploit additional thermal resources availed by climate change. Ecosystem composition may no longer be well attuned to the local temperature regime, which has changed rapidly over the past three decades. This apparent lag of the vegetation assemblage behind changes in climate should be taken into account when projecting the impacts of climate change on ecosystem processes.     

基于时序植被指数的华北地区作物物候期/种植制度的时空格局特征

随着气候变化对农业系统的影响不断加剧,为保障粮食安全,须掌握变化中的自然与人文因素,而农业生态系统中变化最为明显直观的是农作物物候特征,如何提取大区域尺度上农作物物候期以及种植制度的时空格局特征,是评价区域粮食安全的重要因素.基于多时相遥感信息可以有效反映年内/年际农作物物候特征变化的原理,首先利用近10a来的SPOT/VGT-NDVI时间序列数据,在进行数据序列平滑重构处理基础上,提取了华北地区农作物典型物候期的数量分布与空间格局特征;然后,基于上述物候期的分异特性建立了一年一熟和一年二熟等种植制度类型的遥感识别标志;最后,重点分析了上述种植制度的空间格局及其时间波动特征,并利用农业统计资料对提取结果进行了简单验证.分析结果表明,作物物候期特征的数量分布和空间分布在不同生长季均具有显著差异,直接体现了与外界环境条件(诸如区域温度、降水和光照等)的匹配程度以及作物类型自身的生长特征;从主要种植制度空间分布来看,华北地区南部地区农作物类型以夏收作物和二熟秋收作物为主,与之对应的农田种植制度以一年两熟为主;华北地区北部主要为一熟制区域,作物类型以一年一熟秋收作物为主,作物种植制度空间分布随着纬度递减呈现出简单到复杂的总体趋势;从近10a的种植情况来看,一年一熟作物种植面积最大,年际变化幅度亦较大,一年二熟的夏收作物种植比例次之,而年际变幅最小,二熟秋收作物比例最低,其年际变幅居中.研究中亦提出,在进一步加强多时相遥感技术监测大区域农业生态系统动态变化的同时,亦需深入探讨作物物候特征及种植制度变化的驱动因素及其对国家粮食安全的影响.     

Measuring phenological variability from satellite imagery

Abstract. Vegetation phenological phenomena are closely related to seasonal dynamics of the lower atmosphere and are therefore important elements in global models and vegetation monitoring. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data derived from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite sensor offer a means of efficiently and objectively evaluating phenological characteristics over large areas. Twelve metrics linked to key phenological events were computed based on time-series NDVI data collected from 1989 to 1992 over the conterminous United States. These measures include the onset of greenness, time of peak NDVI, maximum NDVI, rate of greenup, rate of senescence, and integrated NDVI. Measures of central tendency and variability of the measures were computed and analyzed for various land cover types. Results from the analysis showed strong coincidence between the satellite-derived metrics and predicted phenological characteristics. In particular, the metrics identified interannual variability of spring wheat in North Dakota, characterized the phenology of four types of grasslands, and established the phenological consistency of deciduous and coniferous forests. These results have implications for large-area land cover mapping and monitoring. The utility of remotely sensed data as input to vegetation mapping is demonstrated by showing the distinct phenology of several land cover types. More stable information contained in ancillary data should be incorporated into the mapping process, particularly in areas with high phenological variability. In a regional or global monitoring system, an increase in variability in a region may serve as a signal to perform more detailed land cover analysis with higher resolution imagery.