By providing a measurement of all of the carbon being stored in Earth’s plants, maps like these help scientists figure out what happens to the carbon people release by burning fossil fuels.
Published Jul 8, 2011
This color-coded map shows how plant growth and the carbon plants store changed between 2000 and 2009.
Published Aug 21, 2010
A representation of the pressure local populations put on their ecosystem, this map shows how much plant matter people need for food and other products compared to the amount of plant material produced in each region.
Published Dec 15, 2010
This map of plant photosynthesis was the first of its kind from the MODIS instrument, which was launched in December 1999 on the Terra spacecraft.
Published Jun 5, 2000
An instrument on the International Space Station observed vegetation beginning to stir on summer mornings near Lake Superior.
Published Feb 26, 2020
Over the past forty years, shrubs have invaded the Siberian tundra, a sign that the Arctic is fundamentally changing as temperatures warm.
Published Jan 19, 2012
The variety of landscapes in southeastern Florida and the northern Everglades illustrates why you might want to see the world in false color.
Published Apr 1, 2014
Researchers are using satellite data to measure lake water quality and clarity of the lakes in the Upper Midwest.
Published Mar 16, 2002
As global and regional warming continues, winter emissions of carbon dioxide from Arctic lands are offsetting what plants absorb in the summer.
Published Nov 19, 2019
Water hyacinth, or Eichornia crassipes, ranks among the world’s most productive plants. Unfortunately, it has also proven to be one of the most troublesome. In 2006 in El Salvador’s Lake Olomega, where the aquatic plants are known locally as “ninfa” (the nymphs), they interfered with tourism, fishing, and even human health.
Published Jun 10, 2007
As scientists detect plant fluorescence in better detail, they inch closer to helping farmers respond to extreme weather and close in on understanding how carbon cycles through ecosystems.
Published Jul 10, 2020
Native to the tropics of South America, the water hyacinth now thrives on every continent except Europe. It was introduced in Africa around 1879, and 110 years later, established itself on the continent’s largest lake, Lake Victoria.
Published Feb 21, 2007
