IAI-Science-ISP-3-077-001: Biozones of Patagonia (Argentina)

"We present a classification of Patagonian ecosystems basedon
functional attributes derived from the seasonal curves of Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI), calculated from spectral data provided by the
NOAA/AVHRR satellites. The attributes used were the annual integral, the
relative range of NDVI,and the date of maximum NDVI. These attributes capture
critical aspects of the seasonal dynamics of carbon gains and allow for a good
description of the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem function in temperate
areas. Our analysis defined 12 biozones that captures the current ecosystem
functioning. The units defined showed a good agreement with previously defined
phytogeographical provinces. Mapping biozones based on attributes derived from
satellite data does not require assumptions on the relationship between
vegetation units and environmental features. This reduces the errors associated
to the lack of correlation between the vegetation and environmental features".