Phenological metrics of the grassland vegetation of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT Considering that plant phenology studies allow establishing relationships between phenological patterns of vegetation and changes caused by climate variability, the aim of this study was to obtain phenological metrics for the predominant grassland typologies in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil (latitudes 27º 05’ and 33º 45’ S and longitudes 49° 43’ and 57º 39’ W) and to evaluate the spatial-temporal distribution pattern of these metrics under the influence of the subtropical climate variability. The phenological metrics were obtained based on the time series of the EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index), of the sensor MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), for the period from 2001 to 2014, through the Timesat program. Eleven phenological metrics were extracted, identifying the presence of two spatial distribution patterns of grass-dominated typologies in the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, one located in the south-central region and the other located in the northeast, along the coast and in the western portion of the state. In addition, it was also observed that the phenological pattern of the grassland vegetation of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is controlled by the seasonality of vegetation, mainly associated with the variations in air temperature.