Earth ID: 10630

Plant Productivity in a Warming World

Released on August 19, 2010

The past decade is the warmest on record since instrumental measurements began in the 1880s. Previous research suggested that in the '80s and '90s, warmer global temperatures and higher levels of precipitation — factors associated with climate change — were generally good for plant productivity. An updated analysis published this week in Science indicates that as temperatures have continued to rise, the benefits to plants are now overwhelmed by longer and more frequent droughts. High-resolution data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or MODIS, indicate a net decrease in NPP from 2000-2009, as compared to the previous two decades.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The change from normal of the annual net primary productivity of the world's land areas for the period 2000-2009 as calculated from Terra's MODIS instrument. This version adds a date and colorbar to the animation.
This video is also available on our YouTube channel.

The change from normal of the annual net primary productivity of southern Africa's land areas for the period 2000-2009 as calculated from Terra's MODIS instrument. This animation shows the full resolution of the 1-km dataset. This version adds a date and colorbar to the animation.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The gross primary productivity of the world's land areas for the period 2000-2009 as calculated from Terra's MODIS instrument. The original 8-day average GPP data has been smoothed to a 24-day average to make the animation less noisy. This version adds a date and colorbar to the animation.
This video is also available on our YouTube channel.

The gross primary productivity of Africa's southern land areas for the period 2000-2009 as calculated from Terra's MODIS instrument. The original 8-day average GPP data has been smoothed to a 24-day average to make the animation less noisy. This animation shows the full resolution of the 1-km dataset. This version adds a date and colorbar to the animation.

Credits

Megan Willy (IRC/UMBC): Lead Animator
Horace Mitchell (NASA/GSFC): Animator
Michelle Williams (UMBC): Video Editor
Erica Drezek (HTSI): Narrator
Michelle Williams (UMBC): Producer
Maosheng Zhao (University of Montana): Scientist
Steven W Running (University of Montana): Scientist
Joycelyn Thomson Jones (NASA/GSFC): Project Support
Rich Melnick (HTSI): Project Support
Michelle Williams (UMBC): Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Science Paper:
Zhao, M. and S. W. Running, 2010, Drought-induced reduction in global terrestrial net primary production from 2000 through 2009. Science, 329: 940-943.

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10630

This item is part of this series:
Narrated Movies

Goddard TV Tape:
G2010-106 -- NPP Video File

Keywords:
DLESE >> Biology
SVS >> Carbon
SVS >> Carbon Absorption
SVS >> Carbon Cycle
SVS >> Climate
DLESE >> Ecology
SVS >> HDTV
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Biosphere >> Ecological Dynamics >> Primary Production
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Biosphere >> Vegetation >> Plant Characteristics
SVS >> Climate Change
DLESE >> Narrated
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0