Using the assessment tool ForWarn, land managers can monitor the growth and development of vegetation that signals winter’s end and the awakening of a new growing season. Researchers have devised a way to more precisely characterize the beginning of seasonal greening, or “greenup,” and compare its timing with that of the 14 previous years. Such information helps land managers anticipate and plan for the impacts of disturbances such as weather events and insect pests.
Three maps detailing greenup in forests and grasslands, agricultural lands, and urban areas are now available online via ForWarn, which delivers weekly Land Surface Phenology (LSP) maps of seasonal vegetation growth and development detected by satellites, as well as national maps showing vegetation disturbances. This tool is available to all partners and especially useful to county, state, and national land managers monitoring vegetation conditions and assessing change over time.