Monitoring the effects of climate change in the Tropical Dry Forest of the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

Tropical dry forests are among the most exploited and less conserved of large tropical ecosystems. This study shows advanced remote sensing techniques used to determine the land cover status of the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve (Mexico). Within the context of the primary basins in the region, we show tropical dry forests at three successional stages, including the location of the remaining 57,000 hectares of tropical dry forest in the area at 15 meter resolution. The research included a regional satellite-based analysis of phenology, as a critical component to understand ecosystem process occurring at the landscape level and their relationship with climate change. The seasonal development of tropical dry forests experienced shifts in time over the past decade with variations in ecosystem productivity and the length of the growing seasons. This work contributes to the understanding of tropical dry forest seasonal development and addresses climate change scenarios for continuous monitoring.