Satellite-based solar-induced fluorescence tracks seasonal and elevational patterns of photosynthesis in California's Sierra Nevada mountains

Robust carbon monitoring systems are needed for land managers to assess and mitigate the changing effects of ecosystem stress on western United States forests, where most aboveground carbon is stored in mountainous areas. Atmospheric carbon uptake via gross primary productivity (GPP) is an important indicator of ecosystem function and is particularly relevant to carbon monitoring systems. However, limited ground-based observations in remote areas with complex topography represent a significant challenge for tracking regional-scale GPP. Satellite observations can help bridge these monitoring gaps, but the accuracy of remote sensing methods for inferring GPP is still limited in montane evergreen needleleaf biomes, where (a) photosynthetic activity is largely decoupled from canopy structure and chlorophyll content, and (b) strong heterogeneity in phenology and atmospheric conditions is difficult to resolve in space and time. Using monthly solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) sampled at similar to 4 km from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), we show that high-resolution satellite-observed SIF followed ecological expectations of seasonal and elevational patterns of GPP across a 3000 m elevation gradient in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. After accounting for the effects of high reflected radiance in TROPOMI SIF due to snow cover, the seasonal and elevational patterns of SIF were well correlated with GPP estimates from a machine-learning model (FLUXCOM) and a land surface model (CLM5.0-SP), outperforming other spectral vegetation indices. Differences in the seasonality of TROPOMI SIF and GPP estimates were likely attributed to misrepresentation of moisture limitation and winter photosynthetic activity in FLUXCOM and CLM5.0 respectively, as indicated by discrepancies with GPP derived from eddy covariance observations in the southern Sierra Nevada. These results suggest that satellite-observed SIF can serve as a useful diagnostic and constraint to improve upon estimates of GPP toward multiscale carbon monitoring systems in montane, evergreen conifer biomes at regional scales.

To Access Resource:

Questions? Email Resource Support Contact:

  • opensky@ucar.edu
    UCAR/NCAR - Library

Resource Type publication
Temporal Range Begin N/A
Temporal Range End N/A
Temporal Resolution N/A
Bounding Box North Lat N/A
Bounding Box South Lat N/A
Bounding Box West Long N/A
Bounding Box East Long N/A
Spatial Representation N/A
Spatial Resolution N/A
Related Links

Related Dataset #1 : AmeriFlux AmeriFlux US-CZ2 Sierra Critical Zone, Sierra Transect, Ponderosa Pine Forest, Soaproot Saddle

Related Dataset #2 : AmeriFlux AmeriFlux US-CZ4 Sierra Critical Zone, Sierra Transect, Subalpine Forest, Shorthair

Related Dataset #3 : Bundled data products - eddy covariance (DP4.00200.001)

Related Dataset #4 : MODIS/Terra+Aqua Leaf Area Index/FPAR 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V061

Related Dataset #5 : MODIS/Terra Snow Cover Monthly L3 Global 0.05Deg CMG, Version 61

Related Dataset #6 : SIF and CLM5 outpfile files to support Kunik et al "Satellite-based solar-induced fluorescence tracks seasonal and elevational patterns of photosynthesis in California's Sierra Nevada mountains"

Related Dataset #7 : ETOPO1 1 Arc-Minute Global Relief Model: Procedures, Data Sources and Analysis

Additional Information N/A
Resource Format PDF
Standardized Resource Format PDF
Asset Size N/A
Legal Constraints

Copyright author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


Access Constraints None
Software Implementation Language N/A

Resource Support Name N/A
Resource Support Email opensky@ucar.edu
Resource Support Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library
Distributor N/A
Metadata Contact Name N/A
Metadata Contact Email opensky@ucar.edu
Metadata Contact Organization UCAR/NCAR - Library

Author Kunik, L.
Bowling, D. R.
Raczka, Brett
Frankenberg, C.
Köhler, P.
Cheng, R.
Smith, K. R.
Goulden, M.
Jung, M.
Lin, J. C.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2024-01-01T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2025-07-10T20:05:17.288434
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:26817
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Kunik, L., Bowling, D. R., Raczka, Brett, Frankenberg, C., Köhler, P., Cheng, R., Smith, K. R., Goulden, M., Jung, M., Lin, J. C.. (2024). Satellite-based solar-induced fluorescence tracks seasonal and elevational patterns of photosynthesis in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. UCAR/NCAR - Library. https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7pk0m87. Accessed 02 August 2025.

Harvest Source