Articles | Volume 23, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1223-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-1223-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Feb 2026
Research article |
| 12 Feb 2026
| 12 Feb 2026
Satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types capture ecosystem functional heterogeneity at regional scale
Beatriz P. Cazorla
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Interuniversity Institute of Earth System Research in Andalusia (IISTA), 18006 Granada, Spain
Department of Botany, University of Granada, 18006 Granada, Spain
Andalusian Center for Global Change – Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Ana Meijide
Environment Modeling, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Niebuhrstraße 1a, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Javier Cabello
Andalusian Center for Global Change – Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Department of Biology and Geology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Julio Peñas
Department of Botany, University of Granada, 18006 Granada, Spain
Andalusian Center for Global Change – Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Javier Martínez-López
Interuniversity Institute of Earth System Research in Andalusia (IISTA), 18006 Granada, Spain
Andalusian Center for Global Change – Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Department of Ecology, University of Granada, 18006 Granada, Spain
Rodrigo Vargas
School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
Leonardo Montagnani
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
Alexander Knohl
University of Goettingen, Bioclimatology, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Lukas Siebicke
University of Goettingen, Bioclimatology, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Benimiano Gioli
CNR – IBE, Institute of Bioeconomy, Firenze, Italy
Jiří Dušek
Department of Matters and Energy Fluxes, Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
Ladislav Šigut
Department of Matters and Energy Fluxes, Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
Andreas Ibrom
Department of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Georg Wohlfahrt
Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Eugénie Paul-Limoges
Forest and Soil Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Kathrin Fuchs
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research – Atmospheric Environmental Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Antonio Manco
Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (ISAFoM), National Research Council of Italy, P.le E. Fermi 1-Loc, Porto del Granatello 1, 80055 Portici, Italy
Marian Pavelka
Department of Matters and Energy Fluxes, Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
Lutz Merbold
Department of Agroecology and Environment, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Lukas Hörtnagl
Department of Environmental System Science, Institute of Agricultural Science, Zurich, Switzerland
Pierpaolo Duce
CNR – IBE, Institute of Bioeconomy, Firenze, Italy
Ignacio Goded
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
Kim Pilegaard
Department of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Domingo Alcaraz-Segura
Interuniversity Institute of Earth System Research in Andalusia (IISTA), 18006 Granada, Spain
Department of Botany, University of Granada, 18006 Granada, Spain
Andalusian Center for Global Change – Hermelindo Castro (ENGLOBA), University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Data sets
Satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) of Europe B. P. Cazorla et al. https://zenodo.org/records/18325891
Model code and software
ajpelu/eftsn_gee: first release B. Cazorla and D. Alcaraz-Segura https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7524973
Short summary
We assess whether satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) reflect spatial heterogeneity in carbon fluxes across Europe. Using Eddy Covariance data from 50 sites, we show that EFTs capture distinct Net Ecosystem Exchange dynamics and perform slightly better than Plant Functional Types (PFTs). EFTs offer a scalable, annually updatable approach to monitor ecosystem functioning and its interannual variability.
We assess whether satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) reflect spatial...
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