Satellite observations indicate slower recovery of woody components compared to upper-canopy and leaves in tropical rainforests after drought

Abstract

The 2015–2016 El Niño-induced drought caused biomass loss in global tropical forests, yet the recovery duration of different vegetation components (woody components, upper canopies, and leaves) remains unknown. Here, we use satellite remote sensing data of vegetation optical depth and leaf area index, with varying sensitivity to different vegetation components, to examine vegetation recovery during the drought event. We find that the woody component had the slowest recovery compared to the upper canopy and leaves, and displayed greater spatial variability between continents. Key factors influencing woody recovery include drought severity, moisture-related climatic conditions (i.e., vapor pressure deficit, precipitation, and soil moisture), and seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. Our study highlights the importance of different vegetation components for maintaining ecosystem balance under drought disturbances and indicates the need for further research to explore recovery mechanisms and the long-term impacts of drought on forest dynamics. Woody components of tropical forests have a slower recovery rate from severe drought compared to upper canopies and leaves, according to multiple remote sensing observations across the tropics during the El Niño-induced drought of 2015-2016