As the pendulum swings: Spatial and temporal variations in grass recovery to rainfall fluctuations

Dryland vegetation responses to extreme weather range from catastrophic to imperceptible over the short term. Quantifying and tracking landscape-level vegetation responses to extremes in temperature and rainfall is confounded by spatial and temporal lags and data availability. One strategy to overcome these hurdles is to maximize the effectiveness of long-term and contemporary satellite time series by employing expanding capacities for geospatial data processing and analysis platforms. Time series decomposition methods can be used to operationalize capabilities for identifying flashy portions of the landscape (those that undergo dramatic changes) and use that information to more effectively monitor or manage herbaceous resources.