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Contribution of Climatic Factors and Human Activities to Vegetation Changes in Arid Grassland

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  • Mengyao Tuo

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

  • Guoce Xu

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

  • Tiegang Zhang

    (Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China)

  • Jianying Guo

    (Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China)

  • Mengmeng Zhang

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

  • Fengyou Gu

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

  • Bin Wang

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

  • Jiao Yi

    (State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-Hydraulic Engineering in Arid Area, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China)

Abstract

Clarifying the changing trend in vegetation and its affecting variables is extremely valuable for natural resource management. Vegetation changes in the Yinshanbeilu grassland region, which is situated in the centre of Inner Mongolia in northern China and is part of the arid steppe region, are extremely sensitive to climatic factors. In this study, we investigated the changes in vegetation in the Yinshanbeilu grassland zone from the year 2000 to 2020 using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. The contribution of climatic conditions and human activities to the annual and growing season vegetation changes was quantified. The findings revealed that vegetation cover in the Yinshanbeilu grassland zone increased at a rate of 0.00267/a between 2000 and 2020. Throughout the year and during the growing season, precipitation had a greater influence on the growth of vegetation than other climatological factors. In most places, there was a significant positive correlation between the NDVI and precipitation, which negatively correlated with other climatic factors. The average rates at which precipitation, temperature, cumulative sunshine hours, and potential evapotranspiration contributed to changes in NDVI were 0.00173/a, −0.00027/a, 0.00006/a, and 0.00074/a, respectively, for the entire year, and 0.00180/a, −0.00001/a, 0.00021/a, and 0.00059/a for the growing season. The impact of climate change on vegetation activities was more pronounced, accounting for 84.76% of annual NDVI change and 97.36% of growing season NDVI change. Humans contributed 15.24% of total annual NDVI change and 2.64% of growing season NDVI change. This research’s findings serve as scientific support for preserving the environment in the Yinshanbeilu grassland region, as well as an essential reference for government decision making.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengyao Tuo & Guoce Xu & Tiegang Zhang & Jianying Guo & Mengmeng Zhang & Fengyou Gu & Bin Wang & Jiao Yi, 2024. "Contribution of Climatic Factors and Human Activities to Vegetation Changes in Arid Grassland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:794-:d:1320648
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Guangxue Guo & Xiang Zou & Yuting Zhang, 2025. "The Dual Effects of Climate Change and Human Activities on the Spatiotemporal Vegetation Dynamics in the Inner Mongolia Plateau from 1982 to 2022," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Xian Liu & Hengkai Li & Yanbing Zhou & Yang Yu & Xiuli Wang, 2024. "The Impact of Seasonal Climate on Dryland Vegetation NPP: The Mediating Role of Phenology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-19, November.

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