The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI): unforeseen successes in animal ecology

Abstract

This review highlights the latest developments associated with the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in ecology. Over the last decade, the NDVI has proven extremely useful in predicting herbivore and non-herbivore distribution, abundance and life history traits in space and time. Due to the continuous nature of NDVI since mid-1981, the relative importance of different temporal and spatial lags on population performance can be assessed, widening our understanding of population dynamics. Previously thought to be most useful in temperate environments, the utility of this satellite-derived index has been demonstrated even in sparsely vegetated areas. Climate models can be used to reconstruct historical patterns in vegetation dynamics in addition to anticipating the effects of future environmental change on biodiversity. NDVI has thus been established as a crucial tool for assessing past and future population and biodiversity consequences of change in climate, vegetation phenology and primary productivity.

Asynchronous vegetation phenology enhances winter body condition of a large mobile herbivore

“…This metric is commonly used to estimate productivity and biomass of grazing ecosystems (Pettorelli et al 2005b;Pettorelli et al 2006;Pettorelli et al 2011). …”

“…We used the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a proxy for vegetation phenology (greenness), which has been used extensively as a surrogate for vegetation productivity and dynamics (Pettorelli et al 2005b;Boone et al 2006;Morisette et al 2006;Pettorelli et al 2006;Bellis et al 2008;Pettorelli et al 2011 ('slope'): the slope between the mean NDVI values measured at defined dates for each individual's buffer. The dates defining the start and end of the green-up period were determined visually from plots of mean NDVI curves for all individuals in each year.…”

Análisis de series temporales de precipitación y vegetación para la detección de anomalías en la producción de alimentos en el Cuerno de África. El caso de Lower Shabelle (Somalia)

“…Actualmente existe un amplio catálogo de libre acceso de imágenes satelitales de toda la Tierra de las últimas décadas con una alta resolución temporal, lo que facilita la obtención de índices de vegetación mediante teledetección (Paruelo, 2009;Pettorelli et al, 2011). El cálculo de dichos índices permite poder evaluar las consecuencias en los cambios ambientales en grandes escalas temporales y/o espaciales sin la necesidad de tomar datos in situ (Pettorelli et al, 2005), lo cual reduce notablemente los costes económicos de las investigaciones y permite estudiar lugares de difícil acceso y con inestabilidad política, como es el Cuerno de África (El-Affendi, 2009).…”

Large-scale indicators for monitoring forest diversity of the main forest types in Calabria (Italy)

“…Anche NDVI si dimostra un indice di un certo interesse: correlazioni tra questo indice e altre variabili ecologiche hanno fornito risultati significativi in passato, anche riguardo alla componente animale e le relazioni tra cambiamenti climatici e dinamica delle popolazioni (Cihlar et al 1991, Pettorelli et al 2011. La correlazione positiva di NDVI con il rapporto G/N e con la ricchezza di specie di Lepidotteri conferma l'utilità di questo dato per la mappatura della naturalità forestale.…”