The CONCERTO project is launching a new video interview series, “CONCERTO – Through the Eyes of the Experts”, offering audiences a closer look at the people, ideas, and scientific goals driving the project forward. 

The campaign begins with an introductory video that presents the experts behind the project and explores what makes CONCERTO exciting and meaningful for them. Featuring Stefano Materia (BSC), Simone Mantovani (MEEO), Catherine Morfopoulos (ICL), Sébastien Garrigues (ECMWF), Pier Luigi Vidale (UREAD), and Daniele Peano (CMCC), the first episode highlights the collaborative spirit of the project and the shared motivation to improve our understanding of the Earth’s complex systems.

The introductory video marks the beginning of a broader communication campaign that will continue with six follow-up episodes. Each upcoming video will focus on a specific topic and objective within the project, explaining key scientific concepts and demonstrating their relevance to real-world environmental challenges. Topics explored throughout the series will include data sharing platform, Earth observation, Earth system models, photosynthesis and ecosystem processes, the carbon cycle, and land system models.

By combining expert insights with accessible storytelling, the series aims to create an engaging and informative experience for viewers from both scientific and non-scientific backgrounds. Through these conversations, CONCERTO hopes to inspire greater awareness of the importance of collaborative environmental research and the role science plays in understanding and protecting the planet.

The CONCERTO project is launching a new social media campaign dedicated to the individuals who make its collaboration truly special. Titled People of CONCERTO, the initiative shifts the spotlight from organisations to the people whose expertise, passion, and teamwork drive the project forward.

Following a successful phase highlighting CONCERTO’s partner organisations, this new campaign marks the next step in telling the project’s story by focusing on the human side of collaboration.

Across 13 partner organisations, CONCERTO brings together a diverse community of professionals, each contributing their knowledge and experience to achieve shared goals. Behind every milestone and every result, there are people whose commitment and creativity make a real difference.

Over the coming weeks, the People of CONCERTO campaign will introduce these individuals, sharing their stories, roles, and contributions. The aim is simple: to recognise the people behind the project and to highlight that meaningful impact starts with real human connections.

A new scientific publication highlights the importance of accurately representing vegetation seasonal cycles in land surface models used to study the Earth’s climate system. The study, titled “Plant phenology evaluation of CRESCENDO land surface models using satellite-derived Leaf Area Index – Part 2: Seasonal trough, peak, and amplitude”, has been published in the journal Biogeosciences and provides a comprehensive assessment of how well current models capture key phases of vegetation dynamics.

Led by Daniele Peano and co-authored by Deborah Hemming, Christine Delire, Yuanchao Fan, Hanna Lee, Stefano Materia, Julia E. M. S. Nabel, Taejin Park, David Wårlind, Andy Wiltshire, and Sönke Zaehle, the research evaluates the seasonal behaviour of vegetation using satellite-derived estimates of Leaf Area Index (LAI). LAI is a key indicator of vegetation canopy structure and plays a central role in scaling plant processes to the regional and global levels, influencing how ecosystems interact with climate through carbon, water, and energy exchanges.

Using satellite LAI products, the study quantifies the global patterns of three important phenological metrics: the seasonal trough, peak, and amplitude of vegetation leaf area. These observations are then compared with simulations from seven land surface models that form part of state-of-the-art Earth system models developed within the CRESCENDO framework.

The results reveal that many of the models show substantial delays in the timing of seasonal vegetation dynamics. In some regions, the simulated timing of LAI troughs and peaks occurs up to three months later than indicated by satellite observations. These discrepancies are particularly evident across the Northern Hemisphere and reinforce findings from previous research showing that some models delay the onset of spring leaf development.

By analysing vegetation phenology at regional and global scales, the research emphasises the role of seasonal plant dynamics as a sensitive indicator of interactions between climate, hydrology, soil conditions, and plant physiology. Accurate representation of these processes is essential for improving predictions of ecosystem responses to environmental change.

The findings underline the need for continued refinement of phenology processes within land surface models. Enhancing the accuracy of seasonal vegetation cycles will help ensure that Earth system models more reliably simulate the dynamics of carbon, water, and energy exchanges between the land surface and the atmosphere. Such improvements are crucial for strengthening our understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change and for supporting the development of robust climate projections.