Search

Your search keyword '"Eric Mougin"' showing total 199 results
Start Over Author "Eric Mougin"
199 results on '"Eric Mougin"'

1. Quantification of surface water extent and volume in the Inner Niger Delta (IND) over 2000–2022 using multispectral imagery and radar altimetry

Author

Cassandra Normandin, Frédéric Frappart, Luc Bourrel, Adama Telly Diepkilé, Eric Mougin, Leo Zwarts, Fabien Blarel, Flavien Egon, and Jean-Pierre Wigneron

Subjects
Surface water extent, surface water volume, Inner Niger Delta, multispectral imagery, radar altimetry, Physical geography, GB3-5030
Abstract

Spatio-temporal dynamics of surface water reservoirs at regional and global scales remain poorly understood. Using satellite remote sensing provides a unique opportunity to address this problem. This study aims to (1) quantify the extent and volume of surface water and (2) compare our approach with other datasets. We utilized MODIS-based spectral indices to monitor temporal variations in inundation extent. By interpolating water levels across the surface water extent, we generated water level maps and quantified surface water volume from 2000 to 2022. Evaluation against ICESat-2 data involved 64 comparisons, with approximately 58% showing an R2 value greater than or equal to 0.5, and 38% were higher than or equal to 0.7. Compared to the flooding model, our method aligns more closely with ICESat-2 data, contrary to the flooding model which tends to overestimate water levels and, consequently, water storage.

Published
2024
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. GNSS-R monitoring of soil moisture dynamics in areas of severe drought: example of Dahra in the Sahelian climatic zone (Senegal)

Author

Minh-Cuong Ha, José Darrozes, Muriel Llubes, Manuela Grippa, Guillaume Ramillien, Frédéric Frappart, Frédéric Baup, Håkan Torbern Tagesson, Eric Mougin, Idrissa Guiro, Laurent Kergoat, Huu Duy Nguyen, Lucia Seoane, Gregory Dufrechou, and Phuong-Lan Vu

Subjects
GNSS-R, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), Interference Pattern Technique (IPT), phase unwrapping, soil moisture, Oceanography, GC1-1581, Geology, QE1-996.5
Abstract

ABSTRACTWith population growth, water will increase in the following decades tremendously. The optimization of water allocation for agriculture requires accurate soil moisture (SM) monitoring. Recent Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) studies take advantage of continuously emitted navigation signals by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) constellations to retrieve spatiotemporal soil moisture changes for soil with high clay content. It presents the advantage of sensing a whole surface around a reference GNSS antenna. This article focuses on sandy SM monitoring in the driest condition observed in the study field of Dahra, (Senegal). The area consists of 95% sand and in situ volumetric soil moisture (VSM) range from ~3% to ~5% durinf the dry to the rainy season. Unfortunately, the GNSS signals’ waves penetrated deep into the soil during the dry period and strongly reduced the accuracy of GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) surface moisture measurements. However, we obtain VSM estimate at low/medium penetration depth. The correlation reaches 0.9 with VSM error lower than 0.16% for the 5–10-cm-depth probes and achieves excellent temporal monitoring to benefit from the antenna heights directly correlated to spatial resolution. The SM measurement models in our research are potentially valuable tools that contribute to the planning of sustainable agriculture, especially in countries often affected by drought.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. Soil moisture estimation in Ferlo region (Senegal) using radar (ENVISAT/ASAR) and optical (SPOT/VEGETATION) data

Author

Gayane Faye, Pierre-Louis Frison, Abdou-Aziz Diouf, Souleye Wade, Cheikh Amidou Kane, Fabio Fussi, Lionel Jarlan, Magatte Fary Kani Niang, Jacques André Ndione, Jean Paul Rudant, and Eric Mougin

Subjects
Geodesy, QB275-343
Abstract

The sensitivity of the radar signal to the seasonal dynamics in the Sahel region is a considerable asset for monitoring surface parameters including soil moisture. Given the sensitivity of the radar signal to vegetation mass production, roughness and soil moisture, the main problem has been to estimate the contribution of these three parameters to the signal. This study aims to circumvent this problem by combining radar with optical data. The DMP (Dry Mater Product) extracted from SPOT data allowed to estimate vegetation mass production. Surface roughness was estimated from radar data during the dry season. Because during the dry season, radar signal is only conditioned by soil roughness in this region a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) was used: it consists in a microwave scattering model of layered vegetation based on the first-order solution of the radiative transfer equation and it accounts for multiple scattering within the canopy, surface roughness of the soil, and the interaction between canopy surface and soil.This model was designed to account for the branch size distribution, leaf orientation distribution, and branch orientation distribution for each size. In this study, the RTM has been calibrated with ESCAT (European Radar Satellite Scatterometer) data, and has been used in order to estimate soil moisture.The results obtained have allowed to track the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture on the one hand, and on the other hand the influence of geology and morphopedology on the spatial dynamics of the soil moisture variability. These results are promising despite the fact that the inversed RTM often faces difficulties to interpret the signal for saturated soils, giving an aberrant value of soil moisture more often than not. Keywords: Soil moisture, Radar remote sensing, ASAR, ERS, SPOT-VEGETATION, Ferlo

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

4. Rain-Use-Efficiency: What it Tells us about the Conflicting Sahel Greening and Sahelian Paradox

Author

Cécile Dardel, Laurent Kergoat, Pierre Hiernaux, Manuela Grippa, Eric Mougin, Philippe Ciais, and Cam-Chi Nguyen

Subjects
Sahel, re-greening, degradation, RUE, RESTREND, NDVI, GIMMS-3g, MODIS, herbaceous vegetation, Sahelian paradox, run-off, Science
Abstract

Rain Use Efficiency (RUE), defined as Aboveground Net Primary Production (ANPP) divided by rainfall, is increasingly used to diagnose land degradation. Yet, the outcome of RUE monitoring has been much debated since opposite results were found about land degradation in the Sahel region. The debate is fueled by methodological issues, especially when using satellite remote sensing data to estimate ANPP, and by differences in the ecological interpretation. An alternative method which solves part of these issues relies on the residuals of ANPP regressed against rainfall (“ANPP residuals”). In this paper, we use long-term field observations of herbaceous vegetation mass collected in the Gourma region in Mali together with remote sensing data (GIMMS-3g Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) to estimate ANPP, RUE, and the ANPP residuals, over the period 1984–2010. The residuals as well as RUE do not reveal any trend over time over the Gourma region, implying that vegetation is resilient over that period, when data are aggregated at the Gourma scale. We find no conflict between field-derived and satellite-derived results in terms of trends. The nature (linearity) of the ANPP/rainfall relationship is investigated and is found to have no impact on the RUE and residuals interpretation. However, at odds with a stable RUE, an increased run-off coefficient has been observed in the area over the same period, pointing towards land degradation. The divergence of these two indicators of ecosystem resilience (stable RUE) and land degradation (increasing run-off coefficient) is referred to as the “second Sahelian paradox”. When shallow soils and deep soils are examined separately, high resilience is diagnosed on the deep soil sites. However, some of the shallow soils show signs of degradation, being characterized by decreasing vegetation cover and increasing run-off coefficient. Such results show that contrasted changes may co-exist within a region where a strong overall re-greening pattern is observed, highlighting that both the scale of observations and the scale of the processes have to be considered when performing assessments of vegetation changes and land degradation.

Published
2014
Full Text
View/download PDF

5. Drought-induced regime shift and resilience of a Sahelian ecohydrosystem

Author

Valentin Wendling, Christophe Peugeot, Angeles G Mayor, Pierre Hiernaux, Eric Mougin, Manuela Grippa, Laurent Kergoat, Romain Walcker, Sylvie Galle, and Thierry Lebel

Subjects
Sahel, eco-hydrology, alternative stable states, regime shifts, rainfall variability, Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering, TD1-1066, Environmental sciences, GE1-350, Science, Physics, QC1-999
Abstract

The Sahel (a semi-arid fringe south of the Sahara) experienced a long and prolonged drought from the 1970s to the mid-1990s, with a few extremely severe episodes that strongly affected ecosystems and societies. Long-term observations showed that surface runoff increased during this period, despite the rainfall deficit. This paradox stems from the soil degradation that was induced by various factors, either directly linked to the drought (impact on vegetation cover), or, in places, to human practices (land clearing and cropping). Surface runoff is still increasing throughout the region, suggesting that Sahelian ecohydrosystems may have shifted to a new hydrological regime. In order to explore this issue, we have developed a simple system dynamics model incorporating vegetation–hydrology interactions and representing in a lumped way the first order processes occurring at the hillslope scale and the annual timestep. Long term observations on a pilot site in northern Mali were used to constrain the model and define an ensemble of plausible simulations. The model successfully reproduced the vegetation collapse and the runoff increase observed over the last 60 years. Our results confirmed that the system presents two alternative states and that during the drought it shifted from a high-vegetation/low-runoff regime to the alternative low-vegetation/high-runoff one, where it has remained trapped until now. We showed that the mean annual rainfall deficit was sufficient to explain the shift. According to the model, vegetation recovery and runoff reduction are possible in this system, but the conditions in which they could occur remain uncertain as the model was only constrained by observations over the collapse trajectory. The study shows that the system is also sensitive to the interannual and decadal variability of rainfall, and that larger variability leads to higher runoff. Both mean rainfall and rainfall variability may increase in central Sahel under climate change, leading to antagonist effects on the system, which makes its resilience uncertain.

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

6. Relation between Seasonally Detrended Shortwave Infrared Reflectance Data and Land Surface Moisture in Semi‑Arid Sahel

Author

Jørgen L. Olsen, Pietro Ceccato, Simon R. Proud, Rasmus Fensholt, Manuela Grippa, Eric Mougin, Jonas Ardö, and Inge Sandholt

Subjects
soil moisture, vegetation, water stress, Earth observation, MSG SEVIRI, SIWSI, NDVI, Sahel, drought, Science
Abstract

In the Sudano-Sahelian areas of Africa droughts can have serious impacts on natural resources, and therefore land surface moisture is an important factor. Insufficient conventional sites for monitoring land surface moisture make the use of Earth Observation data for this purpose a key issue. In this study we explored the potential of using reflectance data in the Red, Near Infrared (NIR), and Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) spectral regions for detecting short term variations in land surface moisture in the Sahel, by analyzing data from three test sites and observations from the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. We focused on responses in surface reflectance to soil- and surface moisture for bare soil and early to mid- growing season. A method for implementing detrended time series of the Shortwave Infrared Water Stress Index (SIWSI) is examined for detecting variations in vegetation moisture status, and is compared to detrended time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). It was found that when plant available water is low, the SIWSI anomalies increase over time, while the NDVI anomalies decrease over time, but less systematically. Therefore SIWSI may carry important complementary information to NDVI in terms of vegetation water status, and can provide this information with the unique combination of temporal and spatial resolution from optical geostationary observations over Sahel. However, the relation between SIWSI anomalies and periods of water stress were not found to be sufficiently robust to be used for water stress detection.

Published
2013
Full Text
View/download PDF

7. Potential of Sentinel-1 Data for Monitoring Temperate Mixed Forest Phenology

Author

Pierre-Louis Frison, Bénédicte Fruneau, Syrine Kmiha, Kamel Soudani, Eric Dufrêne, Thuy Le Toan, Thierry Koleck, Ludovic Villard, Eric Mougin, and Jean-Paul Rudant

Subjects
seasonal monitoring, temperate mixed forest, SAR, Sentinel-1, radar backscattering coefficient, interferometric coherence, Science
Abstract

In this study, the potential of Sentinel-1 data to seasonally monitor temperate forests was investigated by analyzing radar signatures observed from plots in the Fontainebleau Forest of the Ile de France region, France, for the period extending from March 2015 to January 2016. Radar backscattering coefficients, σ0 and the amplitude of temporal interferometric coherence profiles in relation to environmental variables are shown, such as in situ precipitation and air temperature. The high temporal frequency of Sentinel-1 acquisitions (i.e., twelve days, or six, if both Sentinel-1A and B are combined over Europe) and the dual polarization configuration (VV and VH over most land surfaces) made a significant contribution. In particular, the radar backscattering coefficient ratio of VV to VH polarization, σ V V 0 / σ V H 0 , showed a well-pronounced seasonality that was correlated with vegetation phenology, as confirmed in comparison to NDVI profiles derived from Landsat-8 (r = 0.77) over stands of deciduous trees. These results illustrate the high potential of Sentinel-1 data for monitoring vegetation, and as these data are not sensitive to the atmosphere, the phenology could be estimated with more accuracy than optical data. These observations will be quantitatively analyzed with the use of electromagnetic models in the near future.

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

8. Evolution of the Performances of Radar Altimetry Missions from ERS-2 to Sentinel-3A over the Inner Niger Delta

Author

Cassandra Normandin, Frédéric Frappart, Adama Telly Diepkilé, Vincent Marieu, Eric Mougin, Fabien Blarel, Bertrand Lubac, Nadine Braquet, and Abdramane Ba

Subjects
altimetry, water levels, validation, Inner Niger Delta, Science
Abstract

Radar altimetry provides unique information on water stages of inland hydro-systems. In this study, the performance of seven altimetry missions, among the most commonly used in land hydrology (i.e., European Remote-Sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2), ENVIronment SATellite (ENVISAT), Satellite with Argos and ALtika (SARAL), Jason-1, Jason-2, Jason-3 and Sentinel-3A), are assessed using records from a dense in situ network composed of 19 gauge stations in the Inner Niger Delta (IND) from 1995 to 2017. Results show an overall very good agreement between altimetry-based and in situ water levels with correlation coefficient (R) greater than 0.8 in 80% of the cases and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) lower than 0.4 m in 48% of cases. Better agreement is found for the recently launched missions such as SARAL, Jason-3 and Sentinel-3A than for former missions, indicating the advance of the use of the Ka-band for SARAL and of the Synthetic-aperture Radar (SAR) mode for Sentinel-3A. Cross-correlation analysis performed between water levels from the same altimetry mission leads to time-lags between the upstream and the downstream part of the Inner Niger Delta of around two months that can be related to the time residence of water in the drainage area.

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

9. Impact of Surface Soil Moisture Variations on Radar Altimetry Echoes at Ku and Ka Bands in Semi-Arid Areas

Author

Christophe Fatras, Pierre Borderies, Frédéric Frappart, Eric Mougin, Denis Blumstein, and Fernando Niño

Subjects
radar altimetry, waveform, dielectric permittivity, soil moisture, Science
Abstract

Radar altimetry provides information on the topography of the Earth surface. It is commonly used for the monitoring not only sea surface height but also ice sheets topography and inland water levels. The radar altimetry backscattering coefficient, which depends on surface roughness and water content, can be related to surface properties such as surface soil moisture content. In this study, the influence of surface soil moisture on the radar altimetry echo and backscattering coefficient is analyzed over semi-arid areas. A semi-empirical model of the soil’s complex dielectric permittivity that takes into account that small-scale roughness and large-scale topography was developed to simulate the radar echoes. It was validated using waveforms acquired at Ku and Ka-bands by ENVISAT RA-2 and SARAL AltiKa respectively over several sites in Mali. Correlation coefficients ranging from 0.66 to 0.94 at Ku-band and from 0.27 to 0.96 at Ka-band were found. The increase in surface soil moisture from 0.02 to 0.4 (i.e., the typical range of variations in semi-arid areas) increase the backscattering from 10 to 15 dB between the core of the dry and the maximum of the rainy seasons.

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

13. Woody Plant Decline in the Sahel of Western Niger (1996-2017): Is it Driven by Climate or Land Use Changes?

Author

Pierre Hiernaux, Kalilou Adamou, Laurent Kergoat, Martin Brandt, Eric Mougin, and Yasmin Fitts

Subjects
Life Sciences (General)
Abstract

Although a recovery of woody vegetation has been observed throughout the Sahel, western Niger has not followed the overall satellite-derived greening trend. While satellite imagery can be used to study overall patterns and trends, only field observations can provide insights in the dynamics of woody plant populations. Here we used field data from 29 sites in the Dantiandou district in Niger to study woody species composition, plant density, crown cover, basal area, foliage and wood mass from 1996 to 2017. All sites show a decrease in woody plant parameters with a faster decrease in rangeland than in agricultural land. Most of the decrease is due to the loss of shrubs, while trees do not change significantly. When field observations were scaled up to the district level using land use maps, shrub density decreased from 342 to 155 ha-1in agricultural land, and from 1567 to 250 ha-1in rangeland. Trends in annual rainfall and soil moisture during the study period were not significant and cannot explain the decrease of woody vegetation. Instead, the expansion of cropped areas, shortened crop-fallow cycles and the increasing pressure on wood resources to satisfy demand for fuel and construction materials may have contributed to the decline.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

15. Soil CO2 and N2O emissions in Sahelian Silvopastoral systems: spatial distribution and annual budget estimation

Author

Yélognissè Agbohessou, Claire Delon, Manuela Grippa, Eric Mougin, Seydina Ba, Daouda Ngom, and Olivier Roupsard

Abstract

Silvopastoral systems (SPS) are one of the most common livestock production systems in the Sahel. They are composed of a mix of trees, pastures, and livestock in the same area. Known for providing several beneficial services compared to traditional pastures, SPS can release or absorb greenhouse gases. So far, our understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of greenhouse gas emissions in Sahelian SPS is subject to many uncertainties. This is mainly due to a lack of experimental and modelling studies focused on the region.We use a process-based model, STEP-GENDEC-N2O, that couples vegetation growth, biogeochemistry, and gas emissions to investigate the spatial and temporal pattern of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil and estimate their annual budget in the Sahelian SPS. After model validation using in-situ data collected at the Dahra site (north-western Senegal), simulations were performed on the entire Sahelian area (latitude: 13°N to 18°N; longitude: 18°W to 20°E) divided into 18271 grid cells of 0.1° x 0.1°, from 2010 to 2021. Input variables were extracted from different datasets available at global or regional scales.We found that the spatial pattern of CO2 and N2O emissions from soils in Sahelian SPS can be mainly explained by the spatial distribution of soil properties (soil temperature, soil sand, and clay content), climate, and animal load. The overall estimated CO2 and N2O emissions from Sahelian SPS during the 2010-2021 period were 0.054 ± 0.005 Tg C yr-1 (1 Tg = 1012 g) and 0.046 ± 0.008 Tg N yr-1, respectively. These values are relatively low compared to other estimates for grazing and cropping systems in other regions. Mapping CO2 and N2O emissions from soils in SPS at the Sahel-wide scale helps identify emission hotspots in order to establish more effective mitigation strategies and management policies for Sahelian SPS.

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

22. Joint monitoring of livestock stocking rates and rangeland vegetation of Hombori district in Mali during the 2010-2011 dry season

Author

Nogmana Soumaguel, Sory Sissoko, Pierre Hiernaux, Eric Mougin, Laurent Kergoat, Mamadou Oumar Diawara, Abdoulaye Diallo, and Hawa Salif Diakité

Subjects
Stocking, Agronomy, Fodder, business.industry, Grazing, Dry season, Environmental science, Livestock, Forage, Rangeland, Overgrazing, business
Abstract

and wide seasonal and interannual variations. Pastoral livestock systems adapt to these patchy and variation resources by herd mobility and some supplement feeding that only partially overcome seasonal forage shortages in dry years. This study aimed at analyzing the relationship between livestock stocking rates and forage availabilities during the 8-9 month dry season at the scale of the Hombori district. Stocking rates were estimated by monthly count of livestock by species, sex and age classes at the main pastoral water points. Herbaceous forage over the district was assessed at the onset of the dry season over using NDVI-MODIS remote sensing calibrated with in situ measurements. In addition, forage availabilities were monitored monthly in the service area of three selected water points as a function of distance from the water point up to 12 km. The results indicated that despite the large numbers of livestock and the weak mobility of the resident herds, the overall stocking rate in the Hombori district remains low, as it entails an average grazing exploitation rate of only 9.4% of the fodder resource during the dry season. The grazing exploitation rate invalidates the statement of widespread 'overgrazing' of forage resources by livestock in the Sahel often advanced in rangeland ecology and management projects. Keywords: Rangelands, stocking rate, dry season, degradation rate, overgrazing, Sahel.

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

23. The AMMA-CATCH observatory : a platform to address scientific and societal issues in West-Africa

Author

Jean-Martial Cohard, Manuela Grippa, Emmanuel Lawin, Christophe Peugeot, Bil Assanou, Marie Boucher, Véronique Chaffard, Mamadou Diawara, Jordi Etchanchu, Gayane Faye, Sylvie Galle, Ibrahim Mainassara, Moussa Malam-Abdou, Ossenatou Mamadou, Armand Mariscal, Eric Mougin, Soumaïla Moumouni, Geremy Panthou, and Thierry Lebel

Abstract

West Africa is undergoing a drastic transition in climate, demography and land use. This has a strong impact on the development capacities of every country in the region. While regional trends in each of these three key areas are relatively well known, decision makers scientists are often lacking a proper vision of how climate and land use are evolving at spatial and temporal scales that count most for the living of populations. Moreover, the hydrological implications of these climate and land use evolutions are hardly documented, while models have still difficulties in reproducing them. It is therefore of utmost importance to rely on combined observation-modeling strategies to better apprehend the ongoing transition and explore possible future trajectories in terms of water resources, hydrological risks and food security. To that end, the regional long-term observatory AMMA-CATCH aims at monitoring the impacts of global changes on the continental water cycle and the functioning of the critical zone in West Africa, through a combination of mesoscale observations, data analyses and local to regional modeling. Three main issues are currently guiding our observation strategy: (1) Multi-decadal trends of hydro-climatic hazards (past, current and projected); (2) Dynamics of vegetation, land use and their interactions with the water cycle; (3) Trajectories of water resources. This strategy is supported by metrology, technology watch and innovation. The AMMA-CATCH observatory has been collecting data since 1990 on four highly instrumented sites (each of the roughly covering 10000 to 20000 km²), staggered from North to South of West Africa, in order to measure the latitudinal gradient in different eco-climatic zones (Benin, Niger, Mali), and since 2016, from complementary sites in Senegal and Niger, to assess the longitudinal variability in the Sahelian area. It is part of the OZCAR French Critical Zone observatory network and supported by French research institutions with long term engagement.This presentation aims at highlighting recent results obtained by analyzing the data of the AMMA-CATCH observatory covering a large range of hydrology/land use related issues, such as tipping points in hydrology, rainfall intensification, infrastructure design norms, soil restoration, local and regional hyper-resolution hydrological modeling, …. This presentation also aims at encouraging a African-European structuration of socio-hydro-climate observations in this region in order to provide a strong science-based foundation for the elaboration of adaptation policies.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

30. Backscattering Signatures at Ku Band Over Africa from Jason-3 and Swim

Author

Fabien Blarel, Mehrez Zribi, Eric Mougin, José Darrozes, Pierre Zeiger, Christophe Moisy, P. Paillou, Fabrice Papa, J. P. Wigneron, Cassandra Normandin, Luc Bourrel, Z. Aoulad, Frédéric Frappart, Catherine Prigent, Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'études spatiales de la biosphère (CESBIO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), and Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Wet season, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Floodplain, 0211 other engineering and technologies, 02 engineering and technology, 15. Life on land, Atmospheric sciences, 01 natural sciences, Ku band, Soil wetness, Vegetation cover, law.invention, law, Dry season, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, Environmental science, Radar, Nadir (topography), ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 021101 geological & geomatics engineering, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

This study presents an analysis of radar signature at Ku-band for incidences ranging from 0° to 10° over the major bioclimatic zones, soil and vegetation types encountered in West-Africa, using data from Jason-3 and SWIM. Time-series of radar responses were built over the following environments: stone and sand deserts, Sahelian savannah and floodplain, flooded and non-flooded equatorial forests. Deserts and non-flooded equatorial forest exhibit almost constant responses, decreasing as the incidence angle increases. Similar seasonal variations of the backscattering coefficient between the dry and the wet season are observed at nadir for Jason-3 and SWIM with a decrease in dry season level and amplitude with the increase of the incidence angle. Backscattering at Ku-band can be related to soil roughness, vegetation cover and soil wetness.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

34. Modelling land–atmosphere daily exchanges of NO, NH3, and CO2 in a semi-arid grazed ecosystem in Senegal

Author

Eric Mougin, Dominique Serça, Benjamin Loubet, Torbern Tagesson, Rasmus Fensholt, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, Claire Delon, Marcellin Adon, Valérie Le Dantec, and Erwan Personne

Subjects
2. Zero hunger, Wet season, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences, Vegetation, 15. Life on land, Atmospheric sciences, 01 natural sciences, 12. Responsible consumption, Soil respiration, Deposition (aerosol physics), 13. Climate action, Soil water, Dry season, 040103 agronomy & agriculture, 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, Environmental science, Ecosystem, Water content, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Earth-Surface Processes
Abstract

Three different models (STEP–GENDEC–NOflux, Zhang2010, and Surfatm) are used to simulate NO, CO2, and NH3 fluxes at the daily scale for 2 years (2012–2013) in a semi-arid grazed ecosystem at Dahra (15∘24′10′′ N, 15∘25′56′′ W, Senegal, Sahel). Model results are evaluated against experimental results acquired during three field campaigns. At the end of the dry season, when the first rains re-wet the dry soils, the model STEP–GENDEC–NOflux simulates the sudden mineralization of buried litter, leading to pulses in soil respiration and NO fluxes. The contribution of wet season fluxes of NO and CO2 to the annual mean is respectively 51 % and 57 %. NH3 fluxes are simulated by two models: Surfatm and Zhang2010. During the wet season, air humidity and soil moisture increase, leading to a transition between low soil NH3 emissions (which dominate during the dry months) and large NH3 deposition on vegetation during wet months. Results show a great impact of the soil emission potential, a difference in the deposition processes on the soil and the vegetation between the two models with however a close agreement of the total fluxes. The order of magnitude of NO, NH3, and CO2 fluxes is correctly represented by the models, as well as the sharp transitions between seasons, specific to the Sahel region. The role of soil moisture in flux magnitude is highlighted, whereas the role of soil temperature is less obvious. The simultaneous increase in NO and CO2 emissions and NH3 deposition at the beginning of the wet season is attributed to the availability of mineral nitrogen in the soil and also to microbial processes, which distribute the roles between respiration (CO2 emissions), nitrification (NO emissions), volatilization, and deposition (NH3 emission/deposition). The objectives of this study are to understand the origin of carbon and nitrogen compounds exchanges between the soil and the atmosphere and to quantify these exchanges on a longer timescale when only a few measurements have been performed.

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

36. Validation of the altimetry-based water levels from Sentinel-3A and B in the Inner Niger Delta

Author

Fabien Blarel, Eric Mougin, Frédéric Frappart, Flavien Egon, Adama Telly Diepkilé, Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET)

Subjects
Delta, Synthetic aperture radar, QE1-996.5, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, River delta, media_common.quotation_subject, Geology, Wetland, General Medicine, Water level, Environmental sciences, Ramsar site, Desertification, [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics], Environmental science, GE1-350, Physical geography, Altimeter, [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology, media_common
Abstract

The comprehension of water level fluctuations and the sustainability of the Inner Niger River Delta (IND) is a major concern for the scientific community, but also for the local population. Located in the centre of Mali, the heart of the Sahel, the delta is characterised by a floodable area of more than 32 000 km2 during the rainy season, which contributes very strongly to the vitality of local ecosystem, and is consequently classified as a Ramsar site under the international Convention for Wetlands. In addition, the Delta acts as an environmental and socio-economic development barometer for the entire sub-region. Nowadays, we can observe an increasing fragility of the delta due to climate change, desertification and human activities, and justifies the need for permanent monitoring. The present study is based on the recent successes of radar altimetry, originally designed to monitor the dynamics topography of the ocean, and now very frequently used to retrieve inland water levels, of lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Previous studies evaluated the performances of several radar altimetry missions including Low Resolution Mode (LRM) (Topex-Poseidon, Jason-1/2/3, ERS-2, ENVISAT, and SARAL, and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Sentinel-3A missions for water level retrievals over 1992–2017. More than 50 times series of water levels were build at the crossing between water bodies and Sentinel-3A and 3B over 2016–2020. Twenty-four comparisons between in-situ and altimetry-based time-series of water levels were achieved over the IND. RMSE generally lower than 0.7 m and r higher than 0.9 were obtained.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

37. Extensive Estimate of Nitrogen Budget and Critical Loads at the Scale of a Semi-Arid Tropical Grazed Site (Dahra, Senegal)

Author

Claire Delon, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, Blandine Barret, Ousmane Ndiaye, Dominique Serça, Frédéric Guérin, Eric Gardrat, Eric Mougin, Yélognissè F. Agbohessou, Anne Probst, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (ECOLAB), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), and Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
050208 finance, [SDE.IE]Environmental Sciences/Environmental Engineering, [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, 05 social sciences, [SDV.SA.SDS]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Soil study, [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems, [SDU.STU.GC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geochemistry, 0502 economics and business, [SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology, 050207 economics, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
Abstract

International audience

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

38. Backscattering signatures at Ka, Ku, C and S bands from low resolution radar altimetry over land

Author

Frédéric Baup, Frédéric Frappart, Luc Bourrel, Philippe Paillou, Catherine Prigent, Edward Salameh, Eric Mougin, Pierre Zeiger, Fabrice Papa, José Darrozes, Frédérique Rémy, Fabien Blarel, Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Etude du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique (LERMA (UMR_8112)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-CY Cergy Paris Université (CY), Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] (LAB), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre d'études spatiales de la biosphère (CESBIO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière (M2C), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rouen Normandie (UNIROUEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ASP 2020, Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'Etude du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphères = Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres (LERMA), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-CY Cergy Paris Université (CY), and Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)

Subjects
Synthetic aperture radar, Atmospheric Science, Radar altimetry, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, [SDU.STU.GP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph], Aerospace Engineering, Backscattering, 01 natural sciences, law.invention, Land surface properties, law, 0103 physical sciences, Radar, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, Water content, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Remote sensing, [PHYS]Physics [physics], geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, [SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], [SDE.IE]Environmental Sciences/Environmental Engineering, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 15. Life on land, Snow, Geophysics, Arctic, 13. Climate action, Space and Planetary Science, Spatial ecology, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Stage (hydrology), Ice sheet, [SPI.SIGNAL]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Signal and Image processing, Geology
Abstract

(IF 2.61; Q2); International audience; Radar backscattering coefficients from synthetic aperture radars and scatterometers are commonly used to characterize the land surface properties and monitor their temporal evolution. Radar altimetry is mostly used, over land, to provide time series of water stage of lakes, rivers and wetlands and the topography of the ice sheets. Very few studies used the radar altimetry backscattering coefficients for geophysical applications except to determine changes in Arctic lakes state surface, surface soil moisture in semi-arid environments or flood extent at high latitude. As radar altimetry missions acquired data in four frequency bands (mostly C and Ku but also S and Ka), this study proposes the first thorough analysis of the backscattering signatures of land surfaces using observations from ERS-2, Jason-1, ENVISAT, Jason-2 and SARAL radar altimetry missions The spatial and temporal variations of several altimetric information (backscattering coefficient, waveform peakiness, leading edge width and trailing edge slope) are examined at global scale, for each frequency band separately, as well as for their differences. Their relationship with related variations in the surface characteristics (i.e., soil type, soil moisture, presence of water and snow) are evidenced. Finally, spatial patterns and temporal variations computed over selected regions, representative of the major bioclimatic areas, are related to their surface properties and changes.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

42. Radar signatures of sahelian surfaces in Mali using ENVISAT-ASAR data

Author

Baup, Frederic, Eric Mougin, Hiernaux, Pierre, Lopes, Armand, De Rosnay, Patricia, and Chenerie, Isabelle

Subjects
Remote sensing -- Methods, Synthetic aperture radar -- Usage, Business, Earth sciences, Electronics and electrical industries
Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of ENSIVAT Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar data acquired over a Sahelian region located in Mali, West Africa. The considered period is 2004-2005 and includes two rainy seasons. Emphasis is put on two ScanSAR modes, namely, the Global Monitoring (GM) and the Wide Swath (WS) modes characterized by spatial resolutions of about 1 km and 150 m, respectively. Results show that the WS mode offers better performance in terms of radiometric resolution, radiometric stability, and speckle reduction than the GM mode. The latter is more appropriate for studies at large scale (> 10 x 10 km). In both modes, pronounced angular and temporal signatures are observed for most soil surfaces, and azimuthal effects are observed on markedly orientated rocky surfaces. In contrast, polarization differences (VV/HH) are small during the dry season except on flat loamy soil surfaces. Finally, a relationship is observed between the normalized WS backscattering signal at HH polarization and the surface soil moisture of sandy soils. Index Terms--Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), ENVISAT, global monitoring, radar, sahel, soil moisture, wide swath.

Published
2007

43. Soil moisture estimation in Ferlo region (Senegal) using radar (ENVISAT/ASAR) and optical (SPOT/VEGETATION) data

Author

Jacques André Ndione, Abdou-Aziz Diouf, Gayane Faye, Jean Paul Rudant, Cheikh Amidou Kane, Fabio Fussi, Eric Mougin, Magatte Niang, Pierre-Louis Frison, Lionel Jarlan, and Souleye Wade

Subjects
lcsh:QB275-343, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, lcsh:Geodesy, 0211 other engineering and technologies, Soil science, 02 engineering and technology, Surface finish, Vegetation, Scatterometer, 01 natural sciences, Physics::Geophysics, law.invention, Atmospheric radiative transfer codes, law, Surface roughness, Radiative transfer, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental science, Radar, Water content, Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 021101 geological & geomatics engineering, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

The sensitivity of the radar signal to the seasonal dynamics in the Sahel region is a considerable asset for monitoring surface parameters including soil moisture. Given the sensitivity of the radar signal to vegetation mass production, roughness and soil moisture, the main problem has been to estimate the contribution of these three parameters to the signal. This study aims to circumvent this problem by combining radar with optical data. The DMP (Dry Mater Product) extracted from SPOT data allowed to estimate vegetation mass production. Surface roughness was estimated from radar data during the dry season. Because during the dry season, radar signal is only conditioned by soil roughness in this region a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) was used: it consists in a microwave scattering model of layered vegetation based on the first-order solution of the radiative transfer equation and it accounts for multiple scattering within the canopy, surface roughness of the soil, and the interaction between canopy surface and soil.This model was designed to account for the branch size distribution, leaf orientation distribution, and branch orientation distribution for each size. In this study, the RTM has been calibrated with ESCAT (European Radar Satellite Scatterometer) data, and has been used in order to estimate soil moisture.The results obtained have allowed to track the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture on the one hand, and on the other hand the influence of geology and morphopedology on the spatial dynamics of the soil moisture variability. These results are promising despite the fact that the inversed RTM often faces difficulties to interpret the signal for saturated soils, giving an aberrant value of soil moisture more often than not. Keywords: Soil moisture, Radar remote sensing, ASAR, ERS, SPOT-VEGETATION, Ferlo

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

44. Expanding networks of field hedges in densely populated landscapes in the Sahel

Author

Oumarou Moumouni, Xiaoye Tong, Eric Mougin, Oumarou Malam Issa, Kalilou Adamou, Pierre Hiernaux, Patrice Savadogo, Matthew D. Turner, Centre d'études spatiales de la biosphère (CESBIO), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Warwick [Coventry], Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES), Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris (IEES (UMR_7618 / UMR_D_242 / UMR_A_1392 / UM_113) ), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES Paris), AMMA-CATCH observatory, Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), and Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Perennial plant, Tussock, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species, Population, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Shrub, Basal area, Coppicing, Agroforestry, Deforestation, education, Nature and Landscape Conservation, 2. Zero hunger, education.field_of_study, ved/biology, Hedgerow, Crown (botany), Forestry, 15. Life on land, Tropical Africa, Geography, Bocage, [SDE]Environmental Sciences, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Land tenure, 010606 plant biology & botany, Woody plant
Abstract

International audience; Changing woody plant density across agricultural landscapes of the Sudano-Sahelian region is a debated issue. This paper reports the results of an investigation on the contribution of field hedges to overall woody plant density. Hedges separating individual cropped parcels were studied within village agropastoral territories in the Dantiandou district in western Niger. In 1992, field hedges were mapped over the study area using aerial photography and in 2016, using high resolution Google Earth imagery. In 1992, field hedge length was equal to 1006 km within 435 km 2 of croplands, equivalent to 2.3 km km −2. In 2016, 17.5% of these hedges had disappeared , but 1591 km of new hedges were observed resulting in an increased density of hedges to 5.6 km km −2. In 24 years, hedges had increased at a mean annual rate of 3.7% likely associated with the splitting of crop fields by inheritance. The composition and productivity of hedges were also monitored in 1996, 2010 and 2015. All trees (max-imum height ≥ 4 m), shrubs (< 4 m) and tussock perennial grasses were recorded within twelve field hedge samples of 200 m each. Field measurements were used to estimate basal area, crown area, foliage mass and wood mass of each woody plant within the sampled hedges. No significant trends were found between 1996 and 2015 in woody plant density, basal area, crown cover, wood and foliage masses across all monitored hedges. However, overall means hide a slight decrease in tree contributions, while shrub contributions first increased and then decreased. They also mask contradictory trends among sites most likely related to different rates of shrub coppicing and tree cutting. The woody species composition of the hedges is poor with an increase of Combretum glutinosum to the detriment of Guiera senegalensis over the study period. Multiplying the hedge sample statistics by the changing lengths of field hedges in the study area provides estimates of the contribution of the hedge woody plants to the woody plant population at a landscape scale. Between 1992 and 2016, field hedges contributed to increases of woody plant density by 3.9%, basal areas by 5.4%, crown cover by 2.7%, leading to 6.1% annual increase in foliage mass and 8.8% increase in wood mass.

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

46. A leaf area index data set acquired in Sahelian rangelands of Gourma in Mali over the 2005–2017 period

Author

Véronique Chaffard, Eric Mougin, Valérie Demarez, Pierre Hiernaux, Ali Amadou Maïga, Manuela Grippa, Mamadou Oumar Diawara, Abdramane Ba, Nogmana Soumaguel, Centre d'études spatiales de la biosphère (CESBIO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Bamako, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement [Mali] (IRD), Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019]), Université des sciences, des techniques et des technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019]), and Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB)

Subjects
lcsh:GE1-350, Tree canopy, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, [SDE.IE]Environmental Sciences/Environmental Engineering, [SDE.MCG]Environmental Sciences/Global Changes, lcsh:QE1-996.5, 0207 environmental engineering, Sampling (statistics), 02 engineering and technology, Understory, Vegetation, 15. Life on land, 01 natural sciences, lcsh:Geology, Photosynthetically active radiation, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental science, Physical geography, Leaf area index, Rangeland, 020701 environmental engineering, Transect, lcsh:Environmental sciences, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

The leaf area index of Sahelian rangelands and related variables such as the vegetation cover fraction, the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and the clumping index were measured between 2005 and 2017 in the Gourma region of northern Mali. These variables, known as climate essential variables, were derived from the acquisition and the processing of hemispherical photographs taken along 1 km linear sampling transects for five contrasted canopies and one millet field. The same sampling protocol was applied in a seasonally inundated Acacia open forest, along a 0.5 km transect, by taking photographs of the understorey and the tree canopy. These observations collected over more than a decade, in a remote and not very accessible region, provide a relevant and unique data set that can be used for a better understanding of the Sahelian vegetation response to the current rainfall changes. The collected data can also be used for satellite product evaluation and land surface model development and validation. This paper aims to present the field work that was carried out during 13 successive rainy seasons, the measured vegetation variables, and the associated open database. Finally, a few examples of data use are shown. DOI of the referenced data set: https://doi.org/10.17178/AMMA-CATCH.CE.Veg_Gh.

Published
2019
Full Text
View/download PDF

47. Spatiotemporal variability in carbon exchange fluxes across the Sahel

Author

Eric Mougin, Laurent Kergoat, Jonas Ardö, Torbern Tagesson, Rasmus Fensholt, Cheikh Mbow, Jérôme Demarty, Bernard Cappelaere, Stéphanie Horion, Andrea Ehammer, Hector Nieto, Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), and Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Atmospheric Science, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Biome, Eddy covariance, Climate change, 01 natural sciences, Sink (geography), Dryland, Ecosystem, [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology, Photosynthesis, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, 2. Zero hunger, Global and Planetary Change, geography, geography.geographical_feature_category, Phenology, Respiration, Forestry, 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences, 15. Life on land, Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use, Carbon dioxide, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, 13. Climate action, Climatology, 040103 agronomy & agriculture, 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, Environmental science, Terrestrial ecosystem, Net ecosystem exchange, Ecosystem respiration, Agronomy and Crop Science
Abstract

Semi-arid regions play an increasingly important role as a sink within the global carbon (C) cycle and is the main biome driving inter-annual variability in carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. This indicates the need for detailed studies of spatiotemporal variability in C cycling for semi-arid ecosystems. We have synthesized data on the land-atmosphere exchange of CO2 measured with the eddy covariance technique from the six existing sites across the Sahel, one of the largest semi-arid regions in the world. The overall aim of the study is to analyse and quantify the spatiotemporal variability in these fluxes and to analyse to which degree spatiotemporal variation can be explained by hydrological, climatic, edaphic and vegetation variables. All ecosystems were C sinks (average +/- total error 162 +/- 48 g C m(-2) y(-1)), but were smaller when strongly impacted by anthropogenic influences. Spatial and inter-annual variability in the C flux processes indicated a strong resilience to dry conditions, and were correlated with phenological metrics. Gross primary productivity (GPP) was the most important flux process affecting the sink strength, and diurnal variability in GPP was regulated by incoming radiation, whereas seasonal dynamics was closely coupled with phenology, and soil water content. Diurnal variability in ecosystem respiration was regulated by GPP, whereas seasonal variability was strongly coupled to phenology and GPP. A budget for the entire Sahel indicated a strong C sink mitigating the global anthropogenic C emissions. Global circulation models project an increase in temperature, whereas rainfall is projected to decrease for western Sahel and increase for the eastern part, indicating that the C sink will possibly decrease and increase for the western and eastern Sahel, respectively.

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

48. Changes in lakes water volume and runoff over ungauged Sahelian watersheds

Author

Christophe Peugeot, Manuela Grippa, Laetitia Gal, Pierre Hiernaux, Laurent Kergoat, Eric Mougin, Institut de biologie et chimie des protéines [Lyon] (IBCP), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie (LMTG), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), and Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Wet season, Hydrology, Watershed, 0208 environmental biotechnology, 02 engineering and technology, Inflow, Remote sensing, Ungauged watershed, Lake, 6. Clean water, 020801 environmental engineering, Water resources, 13. Climate action, Sahel, Dry season, Environmental science, Precipitation, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, Surface runoff, Water inflow, Surface water, ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, Water Science and Technology
Abstract

A large part of the Sahel consists of endorheic hydrological systems, where reservoirs and lakes capture surface runoff during the rainy season, making water available during the dry season. Monitoring and understanding the dynamics of these lakes and their relationships to the ecohydrological evolution of the region is important to assess past, present and future changes of water resources in the Sahel. Yet, most of Sahelian watersheds are still ungauged or poorly gauged, which hinders the assessment of the water flows feeding the lakes and the overall runoff over their watershed. In this paper, a methodology is developed to estimate water inflow to lakes for ungauged watersheds. It is tested for the Agoufou lake in the Gourma region in Mali, for which in situ water height measurements and surface areas estimations by remote sensing are simultaneously available. A Height-Volume-Area (HVA) model is developed to relate water volume to water height and lake surface area. This model is combined to daily evaporation and precipitation to estimate water inflow to the lake, which approximates runoff over the whole watershed. The ratio between annual water inflow and precipitation increases over the last sixty years as a result of a significant increase in runoff coefficient over the Agoufou watershed. The method is then extended to derive water inflow to three other Sahelian lakes in Mauritania and Niger. No in situ measurements are available and lake surface areas estimation by remote sensing is the only source of information. Dry season surface area changes and estimated evaporation are used to select a suited VA relationship for each case. It is found that the ratio between annual water inflow and precipitation has also increased in the last 60 years over these watersheds, although trends at the Mauritanian site are not statistically significant. The remote sensing approach developed in this study can be easily applied to recent sensors such as Sentinel-2 or Landsat-8, to quantify the evolution of hydrological systems in ungauged Sahelian regions.

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

49. Radar Backscattering Coefficient Over Bare Soils at Ka-Band Close to Nadir Angle

Author

Mohammad El Hajj, Frédéric Frappart, Eric Mougin, Mehrez Zribi, Nicolas Baghdadi, Christophe Fatras, Pierre Borderies, ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab [Toulouse], ONERA, Territoires, Environnement, Télédétection et Information Spatiale (UMR TETIS), Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-AgroParisTech-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Centre d'études spatiales de la biosphère (CESBIO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-AgroParisTech-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), and Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Materials science, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Backscatter, KA BAND, BARE SOILS, 0211 other engineering and technologies, 02 engineering and technology, 01 natural sciences, Physics::Geophysics, law.invention, law, Surface roughness, Nadir, Bare soils, Ka band, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Radar, Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 021101 geological & geomatics engineering, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Remote sensing, SURFACE ROUGHNESS, Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology, RADAR, Ka-band, [SPI.ELEC]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Electromagnetism, Ocean surface topography, surface roughness, SOIL MOISTURE, Millimeter, soil moisture, Microwave, radar
Abstract

[Departement_IRSTEA]Territoires [TR1_IRSTEA]SYNERGIE [Axe_IRSTEA]TETIS-ATTOS; International audience; The behavior of the Ka-band backscattering coefficient at nadir and close-to-nadir angles for land applications is poorly documented. The measurements made during a ground-based campaign at Ka-band were performed at nadir and close-to-nadir angles over bare soils for different surface roughness and soil moisture conditions. The resulting backscattering levels exhibited a dynamic range of approximately 23 dB at nadir for soil moisture contents between 5% and 50% m3/m3 over both smooth and rough surfaces. These results were then compared to the geometric optics (GO) and millimeter microwave (MMW) models. Generally, GO finely fits the backscattering coefficients close to nadir, and MMW appeared to fit for larger incidence angles or rough surfaces. The results obtained in this letter can address prelaunch science and engineering considerations for the interferometry-altimetry Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission operating at Ka-band.

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

50. Changes in Sahelian annual vegetation growth and phenology since 1960: A modeling approach

Author

Caroline Pierre, Laurent Kergoat, Manuela Grippa, Eric Mougin, Françoise Guichard, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA (UMR_7583)), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12), Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre national de recherches météorologiques (CNRM), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Météo France-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 (UPEC UP12)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), and Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
2. Zero hunger, Global and Planetary Change, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Phenology, 0208 environmental biotechnology, 02 engineering and technology, 15. Life on land, Vegetation phenology, Oceanography, Monsoon, 01 natural sciences, 020801 environmental engineering, 13. Climate action, Climatology, Tropical vegetation, Dry season, Period (geology), medicine, Environmental science, Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer, medicine.symptom, [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces, environment, Vegetation (pathology), ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Abstract

In semi-arid areas like the Sahel, vegetation is particularly sensitive to climate variability and can play an important role in surface-atmosphere coupling. After a wet period extending from 1950 to 1970, the Sahel experienced a severe drought in the 1970s and 1980s, followed by a partial recovery of rainfall and a “re-greening” of vegetation beginning in the 1990s. This study explores how the multidecadal variability of Sahelian rainfall and particularly the drought period have affected vegetation phenology and growth since 1960. The STEP model, which is specifically designed to simulate the Sahelian annual vegetation, including the dry season processes, is run over an area extending from 13°N to 18°N and from 20°W to 20°E. Mean values, interannual variability and phenological characteristics of the Sahelian annual grasslands simulated by STEP are in good agreement with MODIS derived production and phenology over the 2001–2014 period, which demonstrates the skill of the model and allows the analysis of vegetation changes and variability over the last 50 years. It was found that droughts in the 1970s and 1980s shortened the mean vegetation cycle and reduced its amplitude and that, despite the rainfall recovery since the 1990s, the current conditions for green and dry vegetation are still below pre-drought conditions. While the decrease in vegetation production has been largely homogeneous during droughts, vegetation recovery has been heterogeneous over the Sahel since 1990, with specific changes near the western coast and at the eastern edge of the West African monsoon area. Since 1970, the Sahel also experienced an increased interannual variability in vegetation mass and phenology. In terms of phenology, region-averaged End and Length of Season are the most variable, while maximum date and Start of Season are the least variable, although the latter displays a high variability locally.

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results