コンゴの熱帯雨林の緑が過去10年間に広く減少した
Liming Zhou1, Yuhong Tian2, Ranga B Myneni3
1Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, New York 12222, USA.
Nature
|April 25, 2014
まとめ
中央アフリカの熱帯雨林は,長期の乾燥傾向により,広範囲に広がる植物の茶色化を経験しています. 衛星データは,森林の緑が減少していることを明らかにし,干ばつに耐性のある種への潜在的なシフトを示しています.
科学分野:
- エコロジー エコロジー エコロジー
- 気候科学 気候科学
- リモートセンシング (リモートセンサー)
背景:
- 熱帯雨林は生物多様性の重要なホットスポットであり,降雨パターンに敏感な気候の調節者でもあります.
- アマゾンの最近の干ばつが,熱帯雨林の脆弱性を強調している. 中央アフリカの森林は,未知の影響で長期的な乾燥傾向に直面している.
- コンゴの森林のユニークな特徴は,干ばつへの反応に影響を与え,閉じた天冠から開かれた森林への潜在的なシフトをもたらす可能性があります.
研究 の 目的:
- コンゴ流域の植生動力学に長期の乾燥傾向が及ぼす影響を調査する.
- 森林の緑色の変化と関連する環境要因に関する観察的証拠を提示する.
主な方法:
- コンゴ流域上空の多センサー衛星データ (光学,熱,マイクロ波,重力) の分析.
- 植物の緑化傾向と降雨量,陸上水貯蔵量,バイオマス水分との相関.
- 光合成活性放射線と地表温度の変化の評価.
主要な成果:
- 過去10年間,特にコンゴ流域北部では,森林の緑が広く減少していることが観察されています.
- 観測された茶色化は,降雨量,貯水量,およびバイオマス水分量の減少と一致しています.
- 太陽放射線と地表温度の上昇は,植物の減少と相関しています.
結論:
- 観察された大規模な植物の茶色化は,長期の乾燥傾向と関連している可能性が高い.
- 継続的な干ばつが森林の組成と構造を変化させ,干ばつに耐える種を好む可能性があります.
- これは,中央アフリカ熱帯雨林の気候変動に対する脆弱性を強調しています.
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