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High Mountains Becoming Wetter While Deserts Getting Drier in Xinjiang, China since the 1980s

Author

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  • Yong Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Chengbang An

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Luyu Liu

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Yanzhen Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Chao Lu

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Wensheng Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

Abstract

Climate change has been thought to drive the accelerated expansion of global drylands. However, many studies reveal that Arid Central Asia (ACA) has been warming and wetting in recent decades, representing an anomalous response to global climate change. Given that ACA is composed of complex ecosystems and landforms, it is not clear whether or not this trend is uniform in this topographically heterogenous region. Here, we integrate the Google Earth Engine and ERA5-Land reanalysis data to study the trend of changes, since the 1980s, in temperature and precipitation in the Tianshan Mountains and the surrounding deserts, collectively referred to as the Tianshan and Desert Ecozone, which is in Northwest China. Our results show that only 20.4% of this area is becoming both warmer and wetter, which occurs mainly in the altitudes above 2800 m (Tianshan Ecozone). All three alpine ecosystems (coniferous forests, alpine meadow, and nival zone) in the Tianshan Ecozone exhibit similar warming and wetting trends, including of elevation-dependent wetting on the specific altitude range. In contrast, the low-lying oasis where human activities are mostly concentrated is undergoing warming and drying, which will face a greater threat of drought projected under three emissions scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5). These results highlight the importance of considering the differences of climate change in different altitude gradients and different ecosystems when studying climate change in drylands.

Suggested Citation

  • Yong Zhang & Chengbang An & Luyu Liu & Yanzhen Zhang & Chao Lu & Wensheng Zhang, 2021. "High Mountains Becoming Wetter While Deserts Getting Drier in Xinjiang, China since the 1980s," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:11:p:1131-:d:664045
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Li, Su-Yuan & Miao, Li-Juan & Jiang, Zhi-Hong & Wang, Guo-Jie & Gnyawali, Kaushal Raj & Zhang, Jing & Zhang, Hui & Fang, Ke & He, Yu & Li, Chun, 2020. "Projected drought conditions in Northwest China with CMIP6 models under combined SSPs and RCPs for 2015–2099," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 11(3), pages 210-217.
    2. Jingyu Yao & Heping Liu & Jianping Huang & Zhongming Gao & Guoyin Wang & Dan Li & Haipeng Yu & Xingyuan Chen, 2020. "Accelerated dryland expansion regulates future variability in dryland gross primary production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Jianping Huang & Haipeng Yu & Xiaodan Guan & Guoyin Wang & Ruixia Guo, 2016. "Accelerated dryland expansion under climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(2), pages 166-171, February.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Qifei Zhang & Congjian Sun & Yaning Chen & Wei Chen & Yanyun Xiang & Jiao Li & Yuting Liu, 2022. "Recent Oasis Dynamics and Ecological Security in the Tarim River Basin, Central Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Xiuhua Cai & Wenqian Zhang & Cunjie Zhang & Qiang Zhang & Jingli Sun & Chen Cheng & Wenjie Fan & Ying Yu & Xiaoling Liu, 2022. "Identification and Spatial-Temporal Variation Characteristics of Regional Drought Processes in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Qifei Zhang & Yaning Chen & Zhi Li & Congjian Sun & Yanyun Xiang & Zhihui Liu, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Development of Vegetation Carbon Sinks and Sources in the Arid Region of Northwest China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Shengjie Wang & Hongyang Li & Mingjun Zhang & Lihong Duan & Xiaofan Zhu & Yanjun Che, 2022. "Assessing Gridded Precipitation and Air Temperature Products in the Ayakkum Lake, Central Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-13, August.

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