Changes in Vegetation Growth Dynamics and Relations with Climate over China’s Landmass from 1982 to 2011
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Datasets and Methods
2.1. Datasets
2.2. Methods
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. NDVI Trends
3.1.1. Trends at Country Scale
3.1.2. NDVI Trends in Each Month
3.1.3. Spatial Pattern of NDVI Trends
3.2. Relationship between NDVI and Climatic Factors
3.2.1. Relationship with Climatic Factors at a Country Scale
3.2.2. Spatial Pattern of NDVI-Climate Relationships
3.2.3. Spatial Pattern of Time Lags
4. Conclusions and Implications
- (1)
- The overall annual NDVI in China showed a significant positive trend from 1982 to 2011 (≈0.0006 yr−1 or 0.14% yr−1, p = 0.002).
- (2)
- The monthly mean NDVI in June, July and August had a significant TP in1984, 1988 and 2007, respectively. The monthly mean NDVI increased rapidly in June and July prior to the TPs and decreased for June and mostly stalled in July after the TPs; while in August the annual mean NDVI stabilized prior to the TP and rapidly increased after the TP at a rate of 0.011 NDVI·yr−1 (1.71% yr−1).
- (3)
- Of the vegetated area in China, about 33% showed a significant positive trend in annual mean NDVI, being mostly located in central to southern China; about 21% showed a significant positive trend in seasonality (s.d. NDVI), being most located in northern China (>35°N); a small proportion (<9%) had a significant trend in minimum vegetation coverage, with about half positive (in Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei provinces, mainly caused by tree plantations) and half negative (in southwestern China, mainly caused by drought in the 2000s).
- (4)
- At the vegetation region scales, changes in vegetation growth dynamics were significantly correlated with air temperature (p < 0.001); at the country scale, changes in NDVI was significantly and positively correlated with annual air temperature (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and insignificantly correlated with annual precipitation (p > 0.1).
- (5)
- In about 24% of the vegetated area, annual mean NDVI was correlated significantly with air temperature (93% positive and remainder negative); and in 12% of the vegetated area, annual mean NDVI was correlated significantly with annual precipitation (65% positive and 35% negative).The spatiotemporal variations in vegetation growth dynamics were controlled primarily by temperature and secondly by precipitation. Vegetation growth was also affected by human activities, such as plantations, urbanization and agricultural practices in some regions.
- (6)
- Monthly NDVI was significantly correlated with the preceding month’s temperature and precipitation in western, central and northern China. The effects of a climate lag of more than two months in southern China may mainly be caused by the abundance of precipitation.
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Month | Mean NDVI | Overall Trend (×10−5 NDVI·yr−1) | TP | Trend Before TP (×10−5 NDVI·yr−1) | Trend After TP (×10−5 NDVI·yr−1) | AIC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0.27 | −24.0 | 1999 | 65 | −172 | −0.95 |
2 | 0.26 | 14.4 | 1987 | 531 | −35 | 0.19 |
3 | 0.28 | 40.0 | 2001 | 119 | −162 | 0.25 |
4 | 0.34 | 166.9 * | 1998 | 246 | 61 | 1.87 |
5 | 0.50 | 134.7 * | 1990 | 400 | 71 * | −1.36 |
6 | 0.56 | 15.1 | 1984 | 2201 | −27 | −8.59 * |
7 | 0.63 | 53.3 * | 1988 | 399 | 6 | −4.08 * |
8 | 0.64 | 62.3 * | 2007 | −3 | 1088 | −13.1 * |
9 | 0.59 | 105.6 * | 2003 | 82 | 203 | 2.02 |
10 | 0.43 | 85.8 | 2000 | 28 | 204 | 2.21 |
11 | 0.33 | 61.8 | 2009 | 93 | −1566 | −1.24 |
12 | 0.29 | −16.4 | 2008 | 0.8 | −466 | 2.01 |
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Xu, G.; Zhang, H.; Chen, B.; Zhang, H.; Innes, J.L.; Wang, G.; Yan, J.; Zheng, Y.; Zhu, Z.; Myneni, R.B. Changes in Vegetation Growth Dynamics and Relations with Climate over China’s Landmass from 1982 to 2011. Remote Sens. 2014, 6, 3263-3283. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs6043263
Xu G, Zhang H, Chen B, Zhang H, Innes JL, Wang G, Yan J, Zheng Y, Zhu Z, Myneni RB. Changes in Vegetation Growth Dynamics and Relations with Climate over China’s Landmass from 1982 to 2011. Remote Sensing. 2014; 6(4):3263-3283. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs6043263
Chicago/Turabian StyleXu, Guang, Huifang Zhang, Baozhang Chen, Hairong Zhang, John L. Innes, Guangyu Wang, Jianwu Yan, Yonghong Zheng, Zaichun Zhu, and Ranga B. Myneni. 2014. "Changes in Vegetation Growth Dynamics and Relations with Climate over China’s Landmass from 1982 to 2011" Remote Sensing 6, no. 4: 3263-3283. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs6043263