Remote Sensing of Climate–Vegetation Dynamics and Their Effects on Ecosystems (Third Edition)

Dear Colleagues, 

Vegetation phenology plays an important role in regulating water cycles, carbon cycles, productivity, and more, and is significantly related to region-specific climatic and non-climatic factors. In the context of a warming climate, the dynamics of local regular climate and large-scale climatic variations, such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), are expected to become more dramatic and may have substantial effects on vegetation phenology. In addition, extreme climate events such as storms, tropical cyclones, and sporadic events alongside anthropogenic activities have abruptly altered the development of vegetation from regional to global scales. With the assistance of long-term in situ observations, PhenoCam monitoring networks, and multisource remotely sensed datasets, variations in vegetation phenology and its associations with regular climate, climatic fluctuations, and extremes can be captured and understood. Moreover, animal phenology, including migration, reproduction, and breeding cycles, is often closely coupled with vegetation dynamics. Consequently, remote sensing of vegetation phenology could provide valuable indirect insights into animal phenology and ecosystem interactions under climate change.

For this Special Issue, we invite scientists to apply remote sensing and spatial technology to explore the variations in vegetation phenology in relation to climate. Suitable topics include the combination of field observations with remote sensing techniques across scales, relationships between satellite-derived phenology (land surface phenology, LSP), and climate, including regional climate conditions and large-scale atmospheric anomalies. Studies on the effects of phenological variations in landscapes due to hydrological processes, water resources, and biogeochemical cycles are also significant contributions to this field. Research on the alterations of LSP alongside land-cover gradient and projections of phenology across scales is encouraged. We also welcome studies on animal phenology, such as migration, breeding, and reproduction cycles, which are tightly linked to vegetation dynamics. Remote sensing of these connections can reveal important cross-trophic interactions and ecosystem responses to climate change.

Prof. Dr. Chung-Te Chang
Prof. Dr. Junhu Dai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.