Abstract
A daily surface soil moisture model described and tested previously with data from the Phoenix, AR (USA) area, has been applied now to climate data collected in semi-arid Botswana over a multi-year period. The physically based model was calibrated with observed surface moisture data from one growing season and validated with data from another. Good overall agreement (r2 = .89) was found between the observed and modelled data. The seasonal variability of precipitation in this region is reflected in the simulated daily surface moisture. The response of the natural savanna vegetation as observed from monthly composites of satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is also monitored for the same period. It is seen that the NDVI peaks at different times during the rainy season from one year to the next, according not only to the total seasonal precipitation, but its temporal distribution as well. It is also seen that there is a delay in intraseasonal vegetation response. While the NDVI is poorly correlated with the current month's average soil moisture, a distinct relationship with the previous month's average soil moisture was found.
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Owe, M., van de Griend, A.A. & Carter, D.C. Modelling of longterm surface moisture and monitoring vegetation response by satellite in semi-arid Botswana. GeoJournal 29, 335–342 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00807534
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00807534