2.2.1. MODIS Data

This research used the surface reflectance data of the MODIS 16-day nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance product (MCD43A4); the dataset is produced daily using 16 days of Terra and Aqua MODIS data at 500 metres resolution. The reflectance bands were used to obtain the EVI vegetation index [47]. The first available images of MODIS date from February 2000, and this study had its period limited to including images until December 2019. The EVI series were assembled for each studied site, with the value of the MCD43A4 product pixel corresponding to the geographic coordinates of each testing location. After that, the EVI time series was converted into a monthly EVI time series, using the mean value of each month.

#### 2.2.2. TerraClimate e CHIRPS Data

The air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and water deficit are some of the potential environmental drivers for the leaf exchange strategies of Caatinga plant species [33]. These possible environmental drivers acting on the Caatinga vegetation were observed in three different sites of the Caatinga. All the variables mentioned were obtained monthly from the TerraClimate data set [48], except for precipitation data. Monthly precipitation data were obtained from the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) database [49]. The exact centre pixels used to construct the EVI time series were used to obtain the environmental drivers' time series.
