Mangrove Phenology From Scale, Data and Species Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Remote Sensing
• Vegetation Science

Background:

• Mangroves are ecologically vital but understudied in phenology research.
• Geographic variation, inconsistent data, and species differences complicate mangrove phenology.
• Subtropical mangroves in Zhanjiang, China, were investigated for phenological patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mangrove phenology at regional and plot scales.
• To compare phenological data from Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2.
• To identify species-specific phenological differences and validate with ground data.

Main Methods:

• Harmonic analysis was used to reconstruct Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time series.
• Satellite data (Landsat 8, Sentinel-2) were analyzed for phenological signals.
• Ground-based litterfall data were collected and correlated with EVI.

Main Results:

• A clear annual unimodal mangrove phenology pattern was observed across scales.
• Sentinel-2 provided superior phenological signal detection compared to Landsat 8.
• Significant interspecific differences in phenology were found among mangrove species.
• Litterfall data correlated positively with satellite-derived EVI, supporting species-level detection.

Conclusions:

• Satellite remote sensing effectively monitors mangrove phenology, including species-specific patterns.
• Multi-resolution satellite data are crucial for understanding mangrove dynamics.
• Long-term phenology monitoring is vital for mangrove conservation under climate change and human pressures.