Investigating the relations between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and tree growth is
vital for quantifying ecosystem primary productivity over large spatial and long temporal scales. In this study, the
relationships between forest growth (tree-ring width indices) and space-based measurement of vegetation activity (NDVI)
were examined in the dry Afromontane forest remnants of northern Ethiopia. The results showed that radial growth of the
main tree species (
Juniperus procera
,
Olea europaea
and
Podocarpus falcatus
) is positively correlated with inter-annual
NDVI values. Moreover, the relationships between ring width – rainfall and rainfall – NDVI were positive and significant
(p<0.05), suggesting that rainfall seasonality is an overriding growth-limiting factor in the study region. Rainfall during the
wet-season largely controls cambial activities and phenological processes of the founding tree species, and hence affects
overall vegetation dynamics in the region. Overall, the study showed the coupling of tree-ring growth and NDVI values with
potential implications for understanding forest growth dynamics. Thus, it gives insights to the applicability of NDVI – tree-rings
integration approach to predict landscape-level patterns of vegetation productivity.