Vegetation greenness and photosynthetic phenology in response to climatic determinants

Vegetation phenology is a key indicator of vegetation-climate interactions and carbon sink changes in ecosystems. Therefore, it is very important to understand the temporal and spatial variability of vegetation phenology and the driving climatic determinants [e.g., temperature (Ts) and soil moisture (SM)]. Vegetation greenness and photosynthetic phenology were derived using the double logistic (DL) method to enhance vegetation index (EVI) and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) spring and autumn phenology, respectively. The growing season length (GSL) of greenness phenology (about 100 days) derived EVI was longer than GSL of photosynthetic phenology (about 80 days) derived SIF. Although their overall spatiotemporal pattern trends were consistent, photosynthetic phenology varied 1.4 to 3.1 times more than greenness phenology over time. In addition, SIF-based photosynthetic phenology and EVI-based greenness phenology showed consistent factors of drivers but differed to some extent in spatial patterns and the most relevant preseason dates. Spring photosynthetic phenology was mainly influenced by pre-season mean cumulative Ts (about 90 days). However, greenness phenology was controlled by both pre-seasons mean cumulative Ts [(about 55 days) and mean cumulative SM (about 40 days)]. Autumn photosynthetic phenology was controlled by both periods’ mean cumulative Ts [(about 20 days) and SM (about 20 days)], but autumn greenness phenology was mainly influenced by pre-season mean cumulative Ts (85 days). The comparison analysis of SIF and EVI phenology helps to understand the difference between photosynthetic phenology and greenness phenology at a regional scale.