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Differences in Phenological Estimation From Multi-Vegetation Indices Across the Yellow River Basin
Qinyue Yu1,2, Yan Bai1,2,3, Juanle Wang1,2,3
1Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China.
Ecology and Evolution
|May 1, 2026
Summary
The Plant Phenology Index (PPI) shows superior performance in estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) and tracking autumn senescence compared to kernel NDVI (kNDVI) and EVI. This vegetation index offers more accurate land surface phenology (LSP) monitoring, especially in challenging environments.
Area of Science:
- Remote Sensing
- Ecology
- Earth Science
Background:
- Satellite-derived vegetation indices (VIs) are crucial for monitoring land surface phenology (LSP).
- Plant Phenology Index (PPI) and kernel NDVI (kNDVI) are emerging VIs for improved LSP estimation accuracy.
- The comparative phenological performance of PPI and kNDVI against traditional VIs needs clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the consistency of PPI, kNDVI, and EVI with solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and flux tower GPP data.
- To investigate spatiotemporal changes in retrieving four phenological metrics across the Yellow River Basin (YRB).
- To assess the differential performance of VIs in capturing phenological shifts, particularly autumn senescence.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of MODIS-derived PPI, kNDVI, and EVI against SIF and GPP data.
- Analysis of spatiotemporal variations in four phenological metrics (upturn date, stabilization date, downturn date, recession date).
- Evaluation of VI performance across different land cover types and environmental conditions within the YRB.
Main Results:
- EVI showed a stronger correlation with SIF, while PPI demonstrated the best performance for GPP estimation (R²=0.76).
- PPI accurately captured phenological changes in snow-affected alpine regions and showed stable late-season errors.
- PPI consistently identified autumn senescence onset and termination 25-50 days earlier than kNDVI and EVI, with PPI showing an advancing trend in downturn date (DD).
Conclusions:
- PPI exhibits superior performance in detecting autumn senescence and provides more accurate GPP estimation compared to kNDVI and EVI.
- Significant temporal discrepancies exist in phenological metrics like downturn date (DD) and recession date (RD) among different VIs.
- Findings highlight the potential of PPI for enhanced LSP retrievals and provide insights into VI selection for ecological monitoring.
