PhenoCam Dataset v3.0: Vegetation Phenology from Digital Camera Imagery, 2000-2023

The phenology data were derived from conventional visible-wavelength automated digital camera imagery collected through the PhenoCam Network at each site. From each acquired image, RGB (red, green, blue) color channel information was extracted and summary statistics were calculated for a region-of-interest (ROI) that delineates an area of specific vegetation type.

From the high-frequency (typically, 30 minute) imagery collected over several years, time series characterizing vegetation color, including canopy greenness, plus greenness rising and greenness falling transition dates, were summarized over 1- and 3-day intervals. These data products, consisting of 4805.5 site-years of observations, can be used for phenological modeling, to evaluate satellite remote sensing data products, to understand relationships between canopy phenology and ecosystem processes, to study the seasonal changes in leaf-level physiology that are associated with changes in leaf color, for benchmarking earth system models, and for studies of climate change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.