## 5 Results and Discussion  
### Examples of Functional Attributes  
The analysis of the functional variables shows clear and contrasted patterns, allowing itself to glimpse the main functional traits underlying the ecosystems in Spain. Figure 4 shows some examples of key functional attributes (e.g., DNDVI, MeanLST, IAlbedo) used in this study to derive the EFTs. The date of the maximum NDVI (DNDVI) is associated to the phenological cycle of each vegetation type. Pixels showing a spring-peaking vegetation (April) are located in Castilla y Leon and Castilla-La Mancha, and mainly covered by non-irrigated crops such as wheat (_Tritcium spp_). Areas with DNDVI in March correspond to _dehesas_ grassland (Extremadura) where the herbal growth (_Oxalis sp._) that recovers the orchard canopies during winter is eliminated, by tilling, in summer. Summer-peaking vegetation (July-August) is generally located in irrigated areas such as the Ebro basin, Vegas Del Guadiana and Tietar and the Alagon-Arrago basin. Summer-peak also occurs in rice paddies located in the Ebro River Delta, around the Albufera Lagoon and in the Guadalquivir River marshes. Forested areas, in the north of Spain, also showed high values during June-July (orange colors) whereas winter-peaking mainly corresponds to citrus crops along the Mediterranean coastline (blue colors).  
Orography, together with other geographic variables such as latitude or longitude, plays a significant role in the distribution of MeanLST. This functional attribute reveals a progressively hotter gradient when moving from north to south. Lowest MeanLST values (around 18 \({}^{\circ}\)C), are mainly located in the northern forested areas of Spain. Several patches of cooler areas are also located in the south, such as Los Alcornocales (_Quercus suber_) Natural Park in the Sierra del Aljibe (Cadiz). This is due to the effect of the mountains that intercept moisture from SE-prevailing winds coming directly from the Mediterranean that diminish the severity of drought in summer. Extreme values of MeanLST, about 30 \({}^{\circ}\)C, correspond to areas of sparse vegetation such as Tabernas Desert in the southeast characterized by high aridity and low moisture index, as reported by previous studies [45]. These areas have a period of drought during the summer with a low vegetative productivity due to the connection of LST with the length of the vegetative period and evapotranspiration [81].  
Results in the IAlbedo confirm that the land surface albedo of any geographic location varies depending on the predominant land cover type, together with other variables such as the density and structure of land cover [82]. The highest IAlbedo values are located in non-irrigated croplands (Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucia) because the albedo of these types of crops is mainly controlled by the reflection of the bare soil. The albedo generally decreases as one moves from grassland (Extremadura) or cropland (Castilla) to more dense vegetation such as broadleaved or needleleaved forests (north of Spain).  
The spatial distribution of the averaged Aridity Index, which represents a measure of water availability in the ecosystem, is related to the relief and a longitudinal gradient, which determines the spatial distribution of precipitation and temperature. Hence, aridity is more intense in the south of Spain, where low precipitation and high temperatures are recorded [83].