Grass and tree cover responses to intra-seasonal rainfall variability vary along a rainfall gradient in African tropical grassy biomes.

ABSTRACT: Although it is well known that mean annual rainfall (MAR) and rainfall seasonality have a key role in influencing the distribution of tree and grass cover in African tropical grassy biomes (TGBs), the impact of intra-seasonal rainfall variability on these distributions is less agreed upon. Since the prevalent mechanisms determining biome occurrence and distribution change with MAR, this research investigates the role of intra-seasonal rainfall variability for three different MAR ranges, assessing satellite data on grass and tree cover, rainfall and fire intervals at a sub-continental scale in sub-Saharan Africa. For MAR below 630 mm y^-1, rainfall frequency had a positive relationship with grass cover; this relationship however became mostly negative at intermediate MAR (630-1200

SUBMITTER: D'Onofrio D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6382848 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature