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Phenology is the study of recurring natural phenomena. The seasonal "greening-up" and "greening-down" of dominant vegetation can be used as a predictor for a variety of processes and variables at local to global scales. The use of satellites to monitor land surface phenology is important for understanding local and regional ecosystem variability, identifying change over time, and potentially predicting ecosystem response to short and long-term changes in climate. However, the relationship between how phenology is expressed on the ground and how it is interpreted from satellites is poorly understood because phenological stages do not always correspond well to changes in spectral reflectance. In this study, we explored the relationship between greenness as measured by digital camera, the human eye, and ASTER imagery in two perennial grasslands at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico.
