Spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation in the Flint Hills [1]

In tallgrass prairie, complex interactions among multiple limiting resources in combination with a variety of land use practices can lead to a heterogeneous landscape. Remote-sensing data (AVHRR) were coupled with abiotic factors to explore spatial and temporal vegetation patterns of the Flint Hills in Kansas and Oklahoma. This information should enable the detection of both natural (e.g., interannual variation in precipitation and temperature) and anthropogenic (e.g., climate change, over-grazing, land-use practices) stresses on this grassland ecosystem. Shifts in the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation (as measured from NDVI by AVHRR) have been correlated with meteorological data (from 117 weather stations) to identify key abiotic variables that determined vegetation patterns across this region. In 4 years, the combination of annual precipitation and growing degree days was useful to detect spatial and temporal vegetation patterns of the Flint Hills. However, it is imperative that land-use patterns are known in order to assess adequately spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation in this area.