Understanding Our Living Planet from SpaceNASA Terrestrial Ecology Program
Program Overview
NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program conducts research and analyses to understand Earth's terrestrial ecosystems, how they are changing, and their role in Earth's climate system. By using satellite observations, field campaigns, and computational modeling, scientists are able to track ecosystem processes across regional to global scales.
The program focuses on understanding the interactive processes that control terrestrial ecosystem function, how ecosystems respond to climate variability, and how ecosystem changes affect climate. This research is critical for improving our predictions of future climate conditions and developing strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
By studying Earth's land ecosystems and their interactions with the atmosphere, NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program advances our scientific understanding of:
- Ecosystem structure, function, and processes
- Carbon, water, and energy cycles
- Terrestrial ecosystem responses to natural and human-induced changes
- Feedbacks between terrestrial ecosystems and Earth's climate system
The program's primary objectives include:
- Quantifying global terrestrial productivity and carbon dynamics
- Understanding ecosystem responses to climate variability and change
- Detecting changes in ecosystem structure and function
- Improving Earth system models for better climate predictions
- Informing societal decisions on climate and environmental policy
Key Research Areas
Carbon Cycle
Research on how carbon moves between the atmosphere, land, and oceans through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and human activities such as deforestation and agriculture.
Water Cycle
Studies examining how ecosystems influence and are influenced by the water cycle, including evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and vegetation responses to precipitation changes.
Disturbance Ecology
Analysis of ecosystem disturbances such as wildfires, insect outbreaks, deforestation, and land use changes, monitoring their extent and understanding ecosystem recovery.
Satellite Missions
Landsat Program
The Landsat series of satellites provide the longest continuous space-based record of Earth's land surface, with over 40 years of observations. These images help researchers monitor deforestation, urbanization, agricultural expansion, and other land-use changes.
MODIS
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard Terra and Aqua satellites provides global observations every 1-2 days, measuring vegetation cover, productivity, and land surface temperatures.
ECOSTRESS
The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station provides data on evapotranspiration and plant water stress, helping us understand how plants respond to water availability and climate change.
SeaWiFS
Designed to observe ocean color, SeaWiFS also provided valuable data on global vegetation patterns and productivity from 1997-2010.
AVHRR
The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer provided NOAA with operational data from 1978, helping establish long-term vegetation records for climate studies.
NISAR
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar will track Earth's changing ecosystems, masses, and natural hazards with unprecedented detail.
PACE
Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission extends key ocean color and atmospheric data records while adding new capabilities to study Earth's ecosystems.
Field Campaigns
Satellite observations are complemented by intensive field campaigns that provide ground-truth data and process-level understanding. Recent major terrestrial ecology field campaigns include:
Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)
NASA's ABoVE field campaign investigates the resilience and vulnerability of ecosystems and society to changing climate in western North America and the Arctic.
Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE)
These experiments focus on interactions between climate, energy, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and vegetation in high-latitude and tropical ecosystems to improve Earth system models.
North American Carbon Program (NACP)
A multi-agency effort to understand carbon sources and sinks in North America, combining satellite, airborne, and ground-based measurements.
Global Impact
Research from NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program has fundamentally changed our understanding of Earth's living systems and their role in global climate. Key contributions include:
- Demonstrating that vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere is currently greening, while areas in the Southern Hemisphere are browning
- Quantifying the carbon sink strength of various biomes and identifying climate-related threats
- Documenting the expanding fire seasons and increasing frequency of extreme wildfires
- Revealing the complex responses of ecosystems to climate extremes such as droughts and heatwaves
- Providing critical data for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments
Future Directions
As our planet undergoes rapid environmental change, NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program continues to evolve its research priorities to address emerging challenges:
Improved Quantification of Ecosystem Fluxes
Next-generation sensors and measurement techniques will provide more precise estimates of carbon, water, and energy fluxes between ecosystems and the atmosphere.
Better Integration of Biological Processes
Enhanced understanding of biological responses to environmental change will improve Earth system models' ability to predict future ecosystem states.
Increased Focus on Human Dimensions
Greater attention to how land-use change, management practices, and other human activities interact with climate to influence ecosystem functioning.
Expanding Collaboration
Enhanced partnerships with international researchers, indigenous communities, and land managers to develop approaches to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts.
Data Access
NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program makes its data publicly available through NASA's Earthdata website. These datasets support a global community of researchers, educators, and decision-makers.
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