title: Satellite-based characterization of climatic conditions before large-scale general flowering events in Peninsular Malaysia.
abstract: General flowering (GF) is a unique phenomenon wherein, at irregular intervals, taxonomically diverse trees in Southeast Asian dipterocarp forests synchronize their reproduction at the community level. Triggers of GF, including drought and low minimum temperatures a few months previously has been limitedly observed across large regional scales due to lack of meteorological stations. Here, we aim to identify the climatic conditions that trigger large-scale GF in Peninsular Malaysia using satellite sensors, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), to evaluate the climatic conditions of focal forests. We observed antecedent drought, low temperature and high photosynthetic radiation conditions before large-scale GF events, suggesting that large-scale GF events could be triggered by these factors. In contrast, we found higher-magnitude GF in forests where lower precipitation preceded large-scale GF events. GF magnitude was also negatively influenced by land surface temperature (LST) for a large-scale GF event. Therefore, we suggest that spatial extent of drought may be related to that of GF forests, and that the spatial pattern of LST may be related to that of GF occurrence. With significant new findings and other results that were consistent with previous research we clarified complicated environmental correlates with the GF phenomenon.
authors: Department of Tourism Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachiouji, 192-0397 Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Muna Maryam
authors: MM
authors: Azmy
authors: Geosciences &Digital Earth Centre (INSTeG), Research Institute of Sustainable Environment (RISE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia.|Faculty of Geoinformation &Real Estate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
authors: Mazlan
authors: M
authors: Hashim
authors: Department of Tourism Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachiouji, 192-0397 Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Numata
authors: Department of Tourism Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachiouji, 192-0397 Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Hosaka
authors: Forestry Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Nur Supardi Md
authors: NS
authors: Noor
authors: Forestry Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Fletcher