‘Climate change shortens seasons in Western Ghats'
A new study for the first time has definitively measured the impact of climate change on vegetation in the central Western Ghats of India, particularly the Goa region. It has recorded a shortened length of seasons by 17 days over the period of a decade in tropical semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats.
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The study has observed a significant delay in leaf flushing or production of new leaves by seven days over a decade. The research also recorded advancement in leaf fall by 13 days over a 10-year period.
In comparison, the length of season was increasing for dry deciduous and thorn forests in the Western Ghats, states the study 'Unravelling meteorological drivers of leaf phenology in the Western Ghats' by researchers Karun Jose, Nasla Najeeb, Aritra Bandopadhyay, Chandra Prakash Singh, and Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi.
The study was carried out in collaboration with Isro, with funding from the Space Application Centre.
'Notably, the tropical semi-evergreen forest exhibited a shortened growing season due to a delayed start and early end of the season. The findings underscore the differential sensitivity of forest types to climatic changes, with semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests emerging as particularly vulnerable,' the study states.
The study emphasises the need to include phenological indicators as it is a vital tool for fire risk assessment, like predicting the risk of forest fires conditions. The researchers have also stated that emphasis should be on the use of native species, as its phenological traits are more conducive to climatic resilience.
Satellite-derived data and near-surface remote sensing data from PhenoCam was used for the study.
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A declining trend in net productivity was observed by the research in semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests of the central Western Ghats. A forest's Net Primary Productivity (NPP) refers to grams of carbon storage per square meter per year.
Plant phenology indicates the seasonal cycle in plant growth and serves as a key indicator of vegetation development, with significant implications for ecosystem productivity and the carbon cycle.
'Research from around the world has confirmed the impact of climate change on plant phenology, including the advanced start of the season, delayed senescence, and shifts in fruiting and flowering patterns. Therefore, tracking vegetation phenological dynamics is crucial for understanding how Earth's ecosystems will respond to future climate change scenarios,' the study states.
The Western Ghats in India represent a crucial biodiversity hotspot.
It is among the 36 global biodiversity hotspots and is listed as one of the eight hottest hotspots worldwide.
The study area covers the central Western Ghats region, featuring four tropical forest types: semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, and thorn forest, image of the PhenoCam tower located in Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, the automatic weather station, and red, green, blue, and infrared images captured by the PhenoCam.
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