Global land surface phenology and implications for food security

Phenology is the scientific study of periodic biological phenomena in relation to climate conditions and habitat factors. Phenology varies by species and is influenced by many factors, such as soil temperature, solar illumination, day length, and soil moisture. Land surface phenology (LSP) is the study of the spatiotemporal patterns in the vegetated land surface as observed by satellite sensors. Agriculture and food production are linked inextricably to the seasonal effects of rainfall and temperature changes. LSP can be used to estimate agriculturally important changes in the start, length, and strength of the growing season, which controls how much food is produced in rainfed agricultural systems (Bolton and Friedl 2013; Koetse and Rietveld 2009). Since the supply of food in many countries is strongly affected by how much food is grown locally, understanding LSP is a critical part of assessing food availability