Human presence across the face of the Earth is substantial and growing. Increasingly, from the perspective of outer space we can see the "fingerprints" of human presence on our landscapes. From the herringbone patterns of tropical deforestation, to the large square patches of agricultural fields, to the concrete splotches of urban sprawl, humans have attained the magnitude of a geological force as we reshape our environments. Scientists estimate that between one-third and one-half of our planet's land surface has been transformed by human enterprises. Yet, scientists cannot say what, if any, long-term impacts these changes will have on global climate systems.
The Carbon Cycle
As atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide continue to increase, the
Earth's climate is expected to change significantly over the next several
decades. In response, scientists expect to see gradual shifts in the
regional distribution of plant species. Moreover, there is speculation
that rising temperatures and heightened carbon dioxide levels will
accelerate the photosynthesis and growth rates of plants. Less well
known is the critical role that vegetation will play in the carbon cycle
and global warming. Scientists have carefully scrutinized and compared
the amount of carbon dioxide released by fossil fuel burning to the rate
of carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere and the amount absorbed by
the oceans and vegetated land surfaces. They have concluded that over
the past 15 years, approximately one-quarter of industrial carbon dioxide
emissions have been absorbed and stored by the vast vegetated areas of
the Northern Hemisphere, primarily the boreal and temperate forests of
North America and Eurasia (Figure 1).
Normally, vegetation takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combines it with water to produce simple carbon compounds. This process, known as photosynthesis, is the basic biological process that powers the biosphere by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fixing it into biological material and soil compounds. Plants and animals effectively "burn" carbohydrates (and other products derived from them) in respiration. This yields energy for metabolism and renders the carbohydrate "fuel" back down to water and carbon dioxide. Decomposition by fungi and bacteria also breaks down the carbohydrates by using dead biological material as a working substance. Together, respiration and decomposition return the biologically-fixed carbon back to the atmosphere, completing the carbon cycle.
Over the past two decades, global vegetation has been affected by the increases in carbon dioxide by taking in more carbon dioxide and storing the fixed carbon in biomass or soil than it is releasing by respiration and decomposition. Why is this? Over the same period, air temperatures over the land have increased, resulting in a lengthened growing season in the northern and mid-latitudes. In fact, it seems that the northern spring now arrives approximately a week earlier than it did 20 years ago. Therefore, a gradual and slight warming seems to have favored photosynthesis over respiration-decomposition with far-reaching effects on the global carbon balance, as approximately one-quarter of our industrially-emitted carbon dioxide is now being fixed and stored by the vegetation. If this trend continues, the severity and onset of global warming might be delayed as increasing amounts of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere and stored. However, some scientists warn that in the future, the biosphere could flip from being a net carbon sink (removing carbon dioxide) to a net carbon source (releasing carbon dioxide) over the next century.
Evapotranspiration and Greenhouse Warming
In addition to the carbon cycle, vegetation plays a direct role in other
aspects of the Earth's climate. Green leaves are relatively dark,
allowing for vegetated land to absorb more of the Sun's energy than
light-colored deserts or snow-covered surfaces, which reflect most
incoming solar radiation. Vegetation takes up water from the soil and
releases it back to the atmosphere as water vapor, a process called
"evapotranspiration." New studies suggest that higher levels of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, coupled with higher temperatures, could alter
evapotranspiration rates, which would impact both the hydrological cycle
as well as land plant biomes.
During photosynthesis, thousands of tiny valve-like pores (called "stomates") on a plant's green leaves open up to allow carbon dioxide to flow into the leaf interior. Consequently, water lining the stomatal cavity can escape from inside the leaf out to the open air. This flow of water into the atmosphere acts to cool the land surface. As the water in the leaf is depleted, it is replaced by a flow of liquid water taken up from the soil by the plant's root system. Plants appear to continuously modulate the width of their stomates so as to get a maximum rate of photosynthesis for a minimum loss of water.
Plants on the Move
A changing climate could cause some migration of plant biomes. For
example, under a warming climate we might expect the northern boreal
forests in Canada, Alaska and Siberia to creep northwards and replace the
treeless tundra. This migration would be associated with changes in
evapotranspiration, changes in how much sunlight is reflected by the
surface, and changes in "aerodynamic roughness" (which refers to the fact
that different vegetation types have varying effects on wind
patterns)-all of which will directly impact the local climate.
There is also anthropogenic (human-induced) interaction with plant biomes. Humankind has already set in place vast areas of cropland in the mid-latitudes, and deforestation continues in the tropics as developing nations try to provide for their populations. While these anthropogenic changes in the biomes are significant, especially with regard to species diversity, it is likely that they play less critical roles in the carbon cycle and global climate. But, monitoring these changes to the biosphere is vital to our understanding of how humans may be affecting other species on this planet.
Snow and Ice
In addition to land vegetation, other surface features are expected to
change that require continuous monitoring from orbit. Snow and ice are
critical players in determining high-latitude climates as many
increased-carbon dioxide climate simulations predict a large-scale
retreat of glaciers and permanent land ice, as well as a reduction in
Northern Hemisphere snowfall. Changes in snow and ice cover can have
profound effects on the climate system, as snow and ice reflect most of
the incoming solar radiation. Thus, their replacement by dark vegetation
or bare rock would act to reinforce a warming trend.
Terra and Landsat-7 Land Surface Observations
The extent, type, and health of global vegetation will be a key factor in
determining the continental climates and the rate of increase of
atmospheric carbon dioxide in the near future. To understand the
important processes affected by vegetation and how these processes will
influence the future state of the Earth, we need to develop improved
predictive computer simulation models of the Earth's climate and
biosphere. To make these models work realistically we need to know more
about the distribution and season changes of the world's vegetation, as
well as the exchanges of water and carbon between land vegetation and the
atmosphere. The only practical way to do this consistently,
continuously, and globally is through satellite remote sensing.
Satellite instruments have already been used to detect changes in
photosynthetic capacity, vegetation type, and growing season dynamics.
The MODIS and MISR instruments on the Terra satellite will provide global monitoring of snow and ice extent, while the ASTER and ETM+ instruments will yield high-resolution images of snow and ice boundaries and glacier retreat sites (Figure 4). ASTER and ETM+ will also enable us to monitor inland waters, lakes, rivers and floodplains. (Hydrologists and meteorologists currently do not have access to global flood data.) Similarly, changes in the world's coastal zones and coral reefs will be monitored with these high-resolution instruments.
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