About

Mark G. Henderson is a Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy at Mills College, located on the Oakland campus. His professional interests encompass environmental policy in the United States and China, urbanization and land use planning, global climate change, and the policy applications of geographic information science (GIS). Henderson holds a BA from Williams College, an MA from Harvard University, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His work focuses on addressing critical environmental and urban issues through policy and technological applications, contributing to the academic and practical understanding of sustainable development and environmental governance.

Research topics

• Geography
• Ecology
• Environmental science
• Physical geography
• Meteorology
• Biology
• Geology
• Climatology
• Atmospheric sciences
• Agroforestry
• Agronomy

Selected publications

• Spatiotemporal Variations in the Rate of Canopy Development and Senescence of Marsh Wetland Vegetation and Their Responses to Climate Change in China

  Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences · 2025-07-01

  article

  Abstract Understanding the changes in the rate of vegetation development and senescence of marsh wetlands and their responses to climate change is important for revealing the regional characteristics of biogeochemical and biophysical cycles. Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and meteorological data from 2000 to 2020, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in the rate of vegetation development and senescence in the marshes of China and their responses to climatic change. We found that the national average rate of vegetation development increased significantly ( P < 0.05) in May and decreased in July. The rate of vegetation senescence slowed in September and accelerated in October. Increased preseason precipitation and temperature accelerated the rate of canopy development of marsh vegetation in May, but slowed down the rate of senescence in September. Regionally, in the Tibetan Plateau, Northeast China, and Inner Mongolia, warmer preseason nighttime temperatures had larger accelerating effects on promoting vegetation development than did daytime temperatures in May. Increasing preseason nighttime temperatures promoted marsh vegetation growth in August in the Tibetan Plateau, while increasing preseason precipitation slowed vegetation senescence in September in the Tibetan Plateau and Northeast China. In Northeast China and Inner Mongolia, increasing preseason temperatures slowed senescence in September. The results indicate that precipitation and temperature have different influences on the rate of marsh vegetation development and senescence in different regions of China and imply that the asymmetric impacts of diurnal temperatures must be considered when modeling future marsh vegetation development and senescence rates.

  PublisherDOI

• Changes in Timing and Precipitation of the East Asian Summer Monsoon over China Between 1960 and 2017

  Earth · 2025-04-03 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) is a critical component of the Earth’s climate system that brings substantial seasonal precipitation to China, contributing over 30 percent of summer half-year’s precipitation. Agriculture critically depends on the monsoon’s timing and precipitation, but the effects of climate change on its regional configuration remain poorly understood. We analyzed daily precipitation time series from 145 observation stations in eastern China to quantify the initial and final dates of the rainband steady phase and detect regional variations in monsoon duration and intensity from 1960 to 2017. Monsoon rainband precipitation declined until the mid-1980s, increased from the mid-1980s to 1998, and generally stabilized after that. During the weakening period, the rainband tended to reach mainland China earlier and to take longer to progress from south to north; those changes reversed during the strengthening period. When the EASM weakened, precipitation decreased in the north and south but not in the lower Yangtze and Huaihe river basins of East-Central China. When the EASM strengthened, precipitation increased in all regions, with changes in extreme precipitation generally greater than the changes in overall precipitation. Overall, the moisture imbalance between regions has intensified, reinforcing the pattern of “southern floods, northern droughts” in China.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cumulative and Lagged Effects of Drought on the Phenology of Different Vegetation Types in East Asia, 2001–2020

  Remote Sensing · 2025-08-04 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Drought disturbances are becoming more frequent with global warming. Accurately assessing the regulatory effect of drought on vegetation phenology is key to understanding terrestrial ecosystem response mechanisms in the context of climate change. Previous studies on cumulative and lagged effects of drought on vegetation growth have mostly focused on a single vegetation type or the overall vegetation NDVI, overlooking the possible influence of different adaptation strategies of different vegetation types and differences in drought effects on different phenological nodes. This study investigates the cumulative and lagged effects of drought on vegetation phenology across a region of East Asia from 2001 to 2020 using NDVI data and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We analyzed the start of growing season (SOS) and end of growing season (EOS) responses to drought across four vegetation types: deciduous needleleaf forests (DNFs), deciduous broadleaf forests (DBFs), shrublands, and grasslands. Results reveal contrasting phenological responses: drought delayed SOS in grasslands through a “drought escape” strategy but advanced SOS in forests and shrublands. All vegetation types showed earlier EOS under drought stress. Cumulative drought effects were strongest on DNFs, SOS, and shrubland SOS, while lagged effects dominated DBFs and grassland SOS. Drought impacts varied with moisture conditions: they were stronger in dry regions for SOS but more pronounced in humid areas for EOS. By confirming that drought effects vary by vegetation type and phenology node, these findings enhance our understanding of vegetation adaptation strategies and ecosystem responses to climate stress.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Moisture legacy effects shape vegetation productivity across East Asia ecosystems, 2001-2020

  Frontiers in Plant Science · 2025-08-06

  articleOpen access

  This study investigated spatiotemporal patterns of growing season gross primary productivity (GPP GS ) across three vegetation types in mid-to-high latitude East Asia from 2001-2020.Growing season parameters and GPP were extracted from MODIS satellite data and combined with meteorological data to examine climate-vegetation relationships through trend analysis and correlation methods. GPP GS increased significantly overall (4.12 gC/m2/yr), with deciduous broad-leaved forest (DBF) having highest productivity (1035.52 gC/m2), followed by deciduous needle-leaved forest (DNF) (830.83 gC/m2) and grassland (800.62 gC/m2). A critical divergence occurred around 2014, when grassland and DNF growth rates declined substantially while DBF maintained steady increases. Phenological factors showed limited explanatory power for GPP variations, albeit GPP are sensitive to vegetation peak growth time for all three vegetation types. Climate analysis identified relative humidity (RH) as the dominant driver, with the previous year’s growing season RH showing around 35.91% stronger positive correlations than current year values across all vegetation types; the difference is highest in DNF and the least in grassland. We conclude that the legacy effects of atmospheric moisture conditions explained the 2014 divergence, highlighting the increasing importance of water availability under global warming. Increases in atmospheric dryness accompanied by temperature increases will affect vegetation carbon storage and the societal-economic services provided by these ecosystems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effect of Land Use Type on Soil Moisture Dynamics in the Sloping Lands of the Black Soil (Mollisols) Region of Northeast China

  Agriculture · 2024-07-31 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study investigates the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil moisture on slopes of China’s northeastern black soil region, focusing on the effects of terrain adjustment and vegetation. Soil moisture dynamics in the 0–60 cm soil layer were measured at 10 cm intervals using the TRIME-PICO64 TDR® device on slopes with similar gradients representing three land use types: transverse ridge tillage (TRT) farmland, terraced fields (TFs) farmland, and pure forest woodland (WL). The results indicate significant variations in soil moisture content and water storage across different land use types in the order of TF > TRT > WL. The study further identified that soil bulk density, porosity, and water-holding indicators were in the order of WL > TF > TRT, inconsistent with the soil moisture results, indicating that soil quality cannot be the sole reason for the differences in moisture. The moisture differences between farmland types (TRT and TF) and WL are substantial, especially during the rainy season. In the rainy season (0–60 cm) and the dry season (30–60 cm), significant differences in moisture content are observed (p < 0.05). Significant differences in moisture content between farmland types are found at 0–40 cm during the rainy season and at 0–10 cm during the dry season. In the rainy season, soil moisture for TRT and TFs first decreases from 26.76% and 30.85% to 22.44% and 25.38%, then slightly increases to 27.01% and 27.07% along the slope. Meanwhile, WL displays the opposite pattern on upper, relatively steep slopes, with soil moisture increasing from 16.66% to 17.81%, and exhibits a pattern of change similar to TRT and TFs on lower, gentler slopes. TFs consistently show higher soil moisture and water storage at all slope positions than TRT and WL. TFs improve soil quality, reduce erosion and sedimentation, and shift the lowest soil moisture content to a lower slope position. During the dry season, soil moisture differences between slope positions for TRT and WL were small. In general, terracing can effectively modulate moisture distribution along slopes, increasing moisture by an average of 0.26~12.43%, while afforestation, despite improving soil quality, leads to an 18.14~31.13% reduction in soil moisture content, with the impact being particularly significant during the rainy season. These findings provide important insights for optimizing land use and ecological construction, including keeping the balance between soil and water conservation, especially for sub-humid slope terrain areas.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of Terracing on Soil Aggregate Stability and Erodibility in Sloped Farmland in Black Soil (Mollisols) Region of China

  Agriculture · 2024-09-05 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Soil aggregates are important indicators of soil structure stability and quality. The black soil region of northeast China, known for its high agricultural productivity, faces significant challenges due to soil erosion. This study investigates the impact of terracing on the stability and erodibility characteristics of soil aggregates in sloped farmlands, which is crucial for this important agricultural area. Three research sites with the same basic management modes were selected along a latitudinal gradient, from the mid-temperate zone to the cold temperate zone, in the black soil region of northeast China. The Savinov method was used to analyze the differences in soil aggregate size distribution, stability characteristics, and soil erodibility between terraced and non-terraced slopes at each research site. The results showed that terracing increased the content of large soil aggregates (>0.25 mm) by 5.38–6.35%, with the increase becoming more pronounced from north to south. The improvement in soil structure varied by location and slope position, with the most significant improvement at the middle slope position. Terracing enhanced soil aggregate stability, reduced soil erodibility, and improved soil structure by increasing clay and soil organic matter (SOM) content and reducing soil bulk density (BD), promoting the conversion of small aggregates to large aggregates. Soil stability indicators such as water-stable aggregates (WSAs), mean weight diameter (MWD), and geometric mean diameter (GMD) were dominated by aggregates > 5 mm, while erodibility indicators such as fractal dimensions (Ds) and the soil erodibility factor (K values) were mainly influenced by aggregates < 0.25 mm. Terraces can improve the soil structure and stability of sloping farmland by increasing the content of large soil aggregates and enhancing overall soil quality. The benefits of these improvements increase with latitude. These findings provide critical insights for determining effective management practices for sloped farmlands in the black soil region under various site conditions. They offer scientific evidence for preventing soil erosion and improving soil quality, thus supporting the sustainable development strategy for protecting black soil and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cumulative and Lagged Effects: Seasonal Characteristics of Drought Effects on East Asian Grasslands

  Remote Sensing · 2024-09-19 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  With the acceleration of global warming, droughts are expected to both intensify and become more frequent. More so than forests, the productivity of grasslands is largely controlled by soil moisture and is highly susceptible to drought. Drought can impact grasslands though the effects may lag and accumulate over time. Because prior research has mainly focused on the annual or growing season scale, it remains unclear whether there are seasonal differences in the cumulative and lagged effects (CALEs) of drought. This study uses Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) data to explore the seasonal characteristics of the CALEs of drought on grassland growth in East Asia from 2001 to 2020. The main results include the following: (1) More than 40% of grasslands are significantly affected by the CALEs of drought for all three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn). (2) Grasslands are more sensitive to the CALEs of drought in summer. The spatial variability of the cumulative time scale is the greatest in spring, whereas the spatial variability of the lagged time scale is the greatest in summer. The lag time scale gradually shortens as moisture decreases in summer and autumn but shows an inverted U-shape in spring. As drought conditions intensify, the cumulative time scale gradually increases in spring and autumn, while gradually decreasing in summer. (3) The dominant drought effects vary among different seasons: the lagged effect (LE) predominates in spring and autumn, whereas in summer it is the cumulative effect (CE) that dominates. The LE exceeds the CE in 54.89% of the study area during the growing season. We emphasize that annual- or growing season-scale studies of drought CE and LE may obscure seasonal response characteristics. Given the seasonal nature of droughts and the seasonally varying sensitivities of grassland growth to these droughts, the impacts on vegetation fluctuate significantly across different seasons. The results help us more accurately predict grassland ecosystem changes under the background of global warming and the increasing probability of severe drought, providing important reference values for future grassland ecological protection and planning.

  PublisherDOI

• Winter climate change mediates the sensitivity of vegetation leaf-out to spring warming in high latitudes in China

  Frontiers in Plant Science · 2024-12-02 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Global warming has significantly altered plant phenology by advancing the timing of leaf emergence, impacting vegetation productivity and adaptability. Winter and spring temperatures have commonly been used to explain spring phenology shifts, but we still lack a solid understanding of the effects of interactions between conditions in different seasons. This study utilizes normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and meteorological data to examine the effects of changes in winter and spring temperatures and precipitation on the start of the vegetation growing season (SOS) at high latitudes in China from 1982 to 2015. We found that SOS in Northeast China, as a whole, showed a weak advancing trend (moving earlier in the year), but with obvious regional differences. Even within the same vegetation type, changes in SOS were faster in the cold north (1.9 days/decade) and the cold and dry northwest (1.6 days/decade) than the regional averages for deciduous needleleaf forests (DNF; 1.2 days/decade) and grasslands (0.6 days/decade). Increases in spring temperatures dominate forest SOS advancement, while grassland SOS is mainly influenced by winter and spring precipitation. Decreases in winter minimum temperature (T min ) enhance the spring temperature sensitivity of SOS. The way that winter precipitation regulates the spring temperature sensitivity of SOS differs among vegetation types: increasing sensitivity in grasslands but suppressing it in DNF. The moderating effects of winter conditions account for the greatest part of the regional differences in the magnitude of change in SOS. Our findings highlight that, although rising spring temperatures significantly affect SOS, winter T min and precipitation are crucial for understanding spatial SOS differences, particularly in cold, arid high-latitude regions. Winter conditions play an essential role in regulating the response of vegetation SOS to spring climate at high latitudes. These results suggest that considering the moderating effect of winter climate can facilitate more accurate predictions of temperature-driven phenological changes under future climate change.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Historical Kingdoms of Gyalrong

  Harvard Dataverse · 2023-12-29

  datasetOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Map and source GIS data prepared to accompany _The Beggar Lama: The Life of the Gyalrong Kuzhap_ by Tenzin Jinba (Columbia University Press, 2023). Situates inner, outer, and historic Gyalrong in the context of China and Tibetan cultural regions.

  PublisherDOI

• Critical role of water conditions in the responses of autumn phenology of marsh wetlands to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau

  Global Change Biology · 2023 · 57 citations

  • Environmental science
  • Physical geography
  • Climatology

  The Tibetan Plateau, housing 20% of China's wetlands, plays a vital role in the regional carbon cycle. Examining the phenological dynamics of wetland vegetation in response to climate change is crucial for understanding its impact on the ecosystem. Despite this importance, the specific effects of climate change on wetland vegetation phenology in this region remain uncertain. In this study, we investigated the influence of climate change on the end of the growing season (EOS) of marsh wetland vegetation across the Tibetan Plateau, utilizing satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data and observational climate data. We observed that the regionally averaged EOS of marsh vegetation across the Tibetan Plateau was significantly (p < .05) delayed by 4.10 days/decade from 2001 to 2020. Warming preseason temperatures were found to be the primary driver behind the delay in the EOS of marsh vegetation, whereas preseason cumulative precipitation showed no significant impact. Interestingly, the responses of EOS to climate change varied spatially across the plateau, indicating a regulatory role for hydrological conditions in marsh phenology. In the humid and cold central regions, preseason daytime warming significantly delayed the EOS. However, areas with lower soil moisture exhibited a weaker or reversed delay effect, suggesting complex interplays between temperature, soil moisture, and EOS. Notably, in the arid southwestern regions of the plateau, increased preseason rainfall directly delayed the EOS, while higher daytime temperatures advanced it. Our results emphasize the critical role of hydrological conditions, specifically soil moisture, in shaping marsh EOS responses in different regions. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate hydrological factors into terrestrial ecosystem models, particularly in cold and dry regions, for accurate predictions of marsh vegetation phenological responses to climate change. This understanding is vital for informed conservation and management strategies in the face of current and future climate challenges.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• G. William Skinner

  50 shared

• Xiangjin Shen

  Chinese Academy of Sciences

  33 shared

• Binhui Liu

  Northeast Forestry University

  30 shared

• Ming Xu

  Northeast Electric Power University

  20 shared

• Wanying Zhou

  Northeast Forestry University

  15 shared

• Zumou Yue

  13 shared

• Binhui Liu

  13 shared

• Daowei Zhou

  Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology

  13 shared

Education

• B.A.

  Williams College

• M.A.

  Harvard University

• Ph.D.

  University of California, Berkeley