Estey et al. (2025) Spaceborne estimates of canopy temperature and soil moisture predict daily and annual subalpine tree growth

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-10-22
• Authors: Eli W. Estey, Jan U.H. Eitel, Lee A. Vierling, Grace Peven, Kerry Cawse‐Nicholson, Simon J. Hook, Kevin L. Griffin
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110893

Research Groups

• University of Idaho, College of Natural Resources
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
• Columbia University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology

Short Summary

This study evaluated the potential of satellite-based canopy temperature (TC) and soil moisture (SM) to predict daily and annual tree growth dynamics in a subalpine forest. The models successfully predicted daily stem radial growth with moderate precision (R² = 0.56) and annual growth performance with high precision (R² = 0.76), demonstrating the efficacy of thermal satellite remote sensing for tracking tree growth.

Objective

• To evaluate the potential of satellite-based estimates of canopy temperature (TC) and soil moisture (SM) to provide insights into daily and annual tree growth dynamics.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: A subalpine mixed-conifer forest in Central Idaho, USA.
• Temporal Scale: Five growing seasons (2020 – 2024).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Generalized additive mixed models and linear mixed models.
• Data sources: Spaceborne estimates of canopy temperature (TC) from ECOSTRESS and soil moisture (SM) from SMAP.

Main Results

• Models predicted micrometer-level daily stem radial growth (SRGD) with moderate precision and accuracy (R² = 0.56; RMSE = 21.45 µm).
• The binomial representation of daily growth/no growth (SRGD-B) was predicted with 87 % accuracy.
• Annual growth performance (relative to average growth across years) was predicted with high precision (R² = 0.76) and accuracy (RMSE = 7.63 %).

Contributions

• This study demonstrates the efficacy of thermal satellite remote sensing data for tracking both intra-annual (daily) and inter-annual tree growth dynamics.
• It highlights the potential for scaling satellite-based tree growth estimates across broad regions, addressing a critical need for monitoring climate change impacts on subalpine forests.
• It advances the nascent field of using thermal data for tree growth monitoring by leveraging spaceborne observations of canopy temperature and soil moisture.

Funding

Not available in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Estey2025Spaceborne,
  author = {Estey, Eli W. and Eitel, Jan U.H. and Vierling, Lee A. and Peven, Grace and Cawse‐Nicholson, Kerry and Hook, Simon J. and Griffin, Kevin L.},
  title = {Spaceborne estimates of canopy temperature and soil moisture predict daily and annual subalpine tree growth},
  journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110893},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110893}
}