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Response of NDVI of Natural Vegetation to Climate Changes and Drought in China

Author

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  • Huaijun Wang

    (School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, China
    Research Institute of Huai River Eco-Economic Belt, Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Colleges & Universities in Jiangsu Province, Huai’an 223300, China)

  • Zhi Li

    (State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumchi 830011, China)

  • Lei Cao

    (School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, China
    Research Institute of Huai River Eco-Economic Belt, Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Colleges & Universities in Jiangsu Province, Huai’an 223300, China)

  • Ru Feng

    (School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, China
    Research Institute of Huai River Eco-Economic Belt, Key Research Base of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Colleges & Universities in Jiangsu Province, Huai’an 223300, China)

  • Yingping Pan

    (State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

Abstract

Temporal and spatial changes in vegetation and their influencing factors are of great significance for the assessment of climate change and sustainable development of ecosystems. This study applied the Asymmetric Gaussians (AG) fitting method, Mann-Kendall test, and correlation analysis to the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS) third-generation Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and gridded climate and drought data for 1982–2015. The temporal and spatial changes to NDVI for natural grassland and forest during the growing season were analyzed. Relationships among NDVI, climate change, and droughts were also analyzed to reveal the influence of vegetation change. The results showed that: (1) Land use/cover change (LUCC) in China was mainly represented by increases in agricultural land (Agrl) and urban and rural land (Uril), and decreases in unutilized land (Bald), grassland, forest, and permanent glacier and snow (Snga). The increase in agricultural land was mainly distributed in the western northwest arid area (WNW) and northern North China (NNC), whereas regions with severe human activities such as southern South China (SNC), western South China (WSC), and eastern South China (ESC) showed significant decreases in agricultural land due to conversion to urban and rural land. (2) The start of the growing season (SOS) was advanced in WNW, SNC, WSC, and ESC, and the end of growing season (EOS) was delayed in WNW, NNC, and SNC. The growing season length (GSL) of natural vegetation in China has been extended by eight days over the last 34 years. However, the phenology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (TP) was opposite to that of the other regions and the GSL showed an insignificant decreasing trend. (3) The NDVI increased significantly, particularly in the SNC, WSC, ESC, and the grassland of the WNW. Precipitation was found to mainly control the growth of vegetation in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwest China (WNW and ENW), and precipitation had a much greater impact on grassland than on forests. Temperature had an impact on the growth of vegetation throughout China, particularly in SNC, ESC, and WSC. (4) The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) showed a downward trend, indicating an aridification trend in China, particularly in ENW, NNC, and WNW. Similar to precipitation, the main areas affected by drought were WNW and ENW and grassland was found to be more sensitive to drought than forest. The results of this study are of great significance for predicting the response of ecosystem productivity to climate change under future climate change scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Huaijun Wang & Zhi Li & Lei Cao & Ru Feng & Yingping Pan, 2021. "Response of NDVI of Natural Vegetation to Climate Changes and Drought in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-24, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:9:p:966-:d:634776
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xiuwei Xing & Jing Qian & Xi Chen & Chaoliang Chen & Jiayu Sun & Shujie Wei & Duman Yimamaidi & Zhahan Zhanar, 2022. "Analysis of Effects of Recent Changes in Hydrothermal Conditions on Vegetation in Central Asia," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-27, February.
    2. Huicong An & Xiaorong Zhang & Jiaqi Ye, 2024. "Analysis of Vegetation Environmental Stress and the Lag Effect in Countries along the “Six Economic Corridors”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-18, April.
    3. A A Alazba & Amr Mossad & Hatim M. E. Geli & Ahmed El-Shafei & Ahmed Elkatoury & Mahmoud Ezzeldin & Nasser Alrdyan & Farid Radwan, 2025. "Mapping Land Surface Drought in Water-Scarce Arid Environments Using Satellite-Based TVDI Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, June.
    4. Rabbya ul Qalab & M. Sultan Bhat & Akhtar Alam & Mussadiq Hussain Qureshi & Mohd Saleem Wani & Nahida Yousuf, 2025. "Flood susceptibility mapping using geospatial techniques: a study of the Kashmir Basin in the Northwest Himalaya," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 121(8), pages 9067-9101, May.
    5. Yanmin Shuai & Yanjun Tian & Congying Shao & Jiapeng Huang & Lingxiao Gu & Qingling Zhang & Ruishan Zhao, 2022. "Potential Variation of Evapotranspiration Induced by Typical Vegetation Changes in Northwest China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Mengmeng Gao & Nan Yang & Qiong Liu, 2024. "What Drives Vegetation Evolution in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River Basin, Climate Change or Human Activities?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-21, November.
    7. Xiaoyan Tang & Yongjiu Feng & Chen Gao & Zhenkun Lei & Shurui Chen & Rong Wang & Yanmin Jin & Xiaohua Tong, 2023. "Entropy-weight-based spatiotemporal drought assessment using MODIS products and Sentinel-1A images in Urumqi, China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 119(1), pages 387-408, October.

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