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Plants
Special Issues
Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change
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Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 12112

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jie Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: global climate change; remote sensing; GIS; forest disturbance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jie Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: plant morphology and function; climate change; plant growth
Dr. Ziqiang Du

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Interests: climate change; ecosystem service; remote sensing; land use and land cover change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetation plays a critical role in responding to global climate change as it is an integral part of ecosystems and essential for their stability and functioning. Here are some of the most significant responses of vegetation to global climate change. Changes in the growing season: global climate change is causing spring to arrive earlier and fall to come later, making the growing season longer for many plant species. Some plants in this situation may increase their growth rate, resulting in increased biomass production during the growing season. Changes in plant communities: climate change could lead to changes in plant communities. For example, some plants may migrate to higher altitudes or cooler areas to adapt to climate change. This may lead to changes in the structure and function of ecosystems. Changes in species diversity: with global climate change, many plant species could gradually disappear while others may start to thrive. This could lead to a reduction in ecosystem diversity, affecting its ecological function. Plant response to carbon dioxide: plants are sensitive to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. With global climate change, an increase in carbon dioxide concentration may enhance the growth rate of plants. However, it may also reduce the ability of some plant species to absorb other nutrients, which could affect their growth and development. Overall, the impact of global climate change on vegetation is vast, affecting not only plant growth and distribution but also the stability and function of ecosystems. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the responses of vegetation to global climate change.

This Special Issue aims to investigate the responses of vegetation to global climate change. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • The response of vegetation dynamics to changes in climatic variables;
  • The interaction between multiple factors and land vegetation productivity;
  • The impacts of climate extremes and change in vegetation ecosystems;
  • The feedback mechanisms of vegetation dynamics on climate change;
  • The driving mechanism of vegetation change due to human activities and/or natural phenomena;
  • Vegetation damage and restoration after extreme climate conditions.

Dr. Jie Zhao
Dr. Jie Gao
Dr. Ziqiang Du
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • climate change
  • vegetation dynamics
  • gross primary productivity (GPP)
  • net primary productivity (NPP)
  • terrestrial vegetation productivity
  • climate impacts
  • vegetation responses

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 6705 KiB  
Article
Environmental Controls on Evapotranspiration and Its Components in a Qinghai Spruce Forest in the Qilian Mountains
by Guanlong Gao, Xiaoyun Guo, Qi Feng, Erwen Xu, Yulian Hao, Rongxin Wang, Wenmao Jing, Xiaofeng Ren, Simin Liu, Junxi Shi, Bo Wu, Yin Wang and Yujing Wen
Plants 2024, 13(6), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060801 - 12 Mar 2024
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Qinghai spruce forests, found in the Qilian mountains, are a typical type of water conservation forest and play an important role in regulating the regional water balance and quantifying the changes and controlling factors for evapotranspiration (ET) and its components, namely, transpiration ( [...] Read more.
Qinghai spruce forests, found in the Qilian mountains, are a typical type of water conservation forest and play an important role in regulating the regional water balance and quantifying the changes and controlling factors for evapotranspiration (ET) and its components, namely, transpiration (T), evaporation (Es) and canopy interceptions (Ei), of the Qinghai spruce, which may provide rich information for improving water resource management. In this study, we partitioned ET based on the assumption that total ET equals the sum of T, Es and Ei, and then we analyzed the environmental controls on ET, T and Es. The results show that, during the main growing seasons of the Qinghai spruce (from May to September) in the Qilian mountains, the total ET values were 353.7 and 325.1 mm in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The monthly dynamics in the daily variations in T/ET and Es/ET showed that T/ET increased until July and gradually decreased afterwards, while Es/ET showed opposite trends and was mainly controlled by the amount of precipitation. Among all the ET components, T always occupied the largest part, while the contribution of Es to ET was minimal. Meanwhile, Ei must be considered when partitioning ET, as it accounts for a certain percentage (greater than one-third) of the total ET values. Combining Pearson’s correlation analysis and the boosted regression trees method, we concluded that net radiation (Rn), soil temperature (Ts) and soil water content (SWC) were the main controlling factors for ET. T was mainly determined by the radiation and soil hydrothermic factors (Rn, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and TS30), while Es was mostly controlled by the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), atmospheric precipitation (Pa), throughfall (Pt) and air temperature (Ta). Our study may provide further theoretical support to improve our understanding of the responses of ET and its components to surrounding environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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18 pages, 4093 KiB  
Article
Differential Water Conservation Capacity in Broadleaved and Mixed Forest Restoration in Latosol Soil-Eroded Region, Hainan Province, China
by Suyi Chen, Yanping Huang, Mei Yan, Yujie Han, Kang Wang, Zexian Chen, Dongshuo Ruan, Yan Yu and Zhihua Tu
Plants 2024, 13(5), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050694 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 450
Abstract
The water conservation capacity of the litter and soil layers of forest ecosystems improves the function of forest ecosystems in conserving soil and water. Plantation restoration plays a key role in preventing soil erosion. In order to evaluate the water conservation capacity of [...] Read more.
The water conservation capacity of the litter and soil layers of forest ecosystems improves the function of forest ecosystems in conserving soil and water. Plantation restoration plays a key role in preventing soil erosion. In order to evaluate the water conservation capacity of plantation restoration in Latosol soil-eroded region, we analyzed the litter thickness and mass, water absorption process, water holding recovery process, and soil water holding capacity of five restoration types (Hevea brasiliensis, Acacia mangium, Eucalyptus robusta, Acacia–Eucalyptus, and Acacia–Hevea) in the Mahuangling Watershed, Hainan province. The results showed that the thickness of the litter ranged from approximately 3.42 ± 0.24 to 4.73 ± 0.81 cm, and the litter mass ranged from 5.04 ± 1.52 t·ha−1 to 13.16 ± 1.76 t·ha−1, with higher litter mass in the SL layer than in the UL layer. The litter mass of A. mangium was higher than that of H. brasiliensis, E. robusta, Acacia–Eucalyptus, and Acacia–Hevea, which was 3.16 ± 1.76 t·ha−1. A. mangium forest was significantly higher than other plantation restoration types in terms of the maximum water retention capacity (Qmax) and the effective water retention capacity (Qeff). The soil bulk weight ranged from approximately 1.52 ± 0.09 to 1.59 ± 0.08 g·cm−3, and porosity ranged from 31.77 ± 4.72 to 35.62 ± 3.02%, both of which increased with the depth of the soil layer. The water holding capacity of 0–60 cm soil varied from approximately 12.94 ± 7.91 to 45.02 ± 31.79 t·ha−1, with A. mangium having the best soil permeability and the strongest soil water holding capacity. The entropy weight method was used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation, and the results showed that the water conservation capacity of the soil layer was 1.26 times higher than that of the litter layer, in which the water conservation capacity of A. mangium was the strongest, with a comprehensive evaluation value of 0.2854, which effectively intercepted rainfall and reduced surface runoff. Hence, we suggest that the planting of A. mangium should be considered in future ecological restoration projects of the erosion area of Mahuangling in order to improve the function of conserving soil and water in a restoration forest ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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17 pages, 7046 KiB  
Article
The Estimation of Grassland Aboveground Biomass and Analysis of Its Response to Climatic Factors Using a Random Forest Algorithm in Xinjiang, China
by Ping Dong, Changqing Jing, Gongxin Wang, Yuqing Shao and Yingzhi Gao
Plants 2024, 13(4), 548; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040548 - 17 Feb 2024
Viewed by 593
Abstract
Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a key indicator of the physiological status and productivity of grasslands, and its accurate estimation is essential for understanding regional carbon cycles. In this study, we developed a suitable AGB model for grasslands in Xinjiang based on the random [...] Read more.
Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a key indicator of the physiological status and productivity of grasslands, and its accurate estimation is essential for understanding regional carbon cycles. In this study, we developed a suitable AGB model for grasslands in Xinjiang based on the random forest algorithm, using AGB observation data, remote sensing vegetation indices, and meteorological data. We estimated the grassland AGB from 2000 to 2022, analyzed its spatiotemporal changes, and explored its response to climatic factors. The results showed that (1) the model was reliable (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 64.33 g·m−2) and accurately estimated the AGB of grassland in Xinjiang; (2) the spatial distribution of grassland AGB in Xinjiang showed high levels in the northwest and low values in the southeast. AGB showed a growing trend in most areas, with a share of 61.19%. Among these areas, lowland meadows showed the fastest growth, with an average annual increment of 0.65 g·m−2·a−1; and (3) Xinjiang’s climate exhibited characteristics of warm humidification, and grassland AGB showed a higher correlation with precipitation than temperature. Developing remote sensing models based on random forest algorithms proves an effective approach for estimating AGB, providing fundamental data for maintaining the balance between grass and livestock and for the sustainable use and conservation of grassland resources in Xinjiang, China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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15 pages, 2967 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Molecular Response of Liriodendron chinense to Varying Stand Density
by Jun Chen, Ting Li, Jinfeng Cai, Pengfei Yu and Ying Guo
Plants 2024, 13(4), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040508 - 11 Feb 2024
Viewed by 754
Abstract
Stand density affects the potentially superior productivity of forest ecosystems directly by regulating the light and nutrient availability of trees. Understanding how stand density influences the growth and development of trees is crucial for supporting forest management in the context of climate change. [...] Read more.
Stand density affects the potentially superior productivity of forest ecosystems directly by regulating the light and nutrient availability of trees. Understanding how stand density influences the growth and development of trees is crucial for supporting forest management in the context of climate change. We focused on Liriodendron chinense in experimental plantations created in 2003, with planting densities ranging from 277 to 10,000 trees per hectare at six plots. The leaf structure and photosynthetic capacity of L. chinense changed significantly under different stand densities, which had a negative impact on their biomass (leaf mass) and nutrient (total carbohydrate content) accumulation. Transcriptional differences were observed among samples from plots with different planting densities. The expression of 1784 genes was negatively dependent on stand density, participating mainly in the biological processes of “circadian rhythm”, “carbon metabolism”, and “amino acid biosynthesis”. Furthermore, we identified a photosynthesis-related module and constructed a gene regulatory network to discover that the transcription factors of MYB and bHLH may have important roles in the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis biosynthesis by activating or repressing the expression of petA (Litul.15G096200), psbE (Litul.10G033900), and petD (Litul.17G061600) at different stand densities. Our study quantified the impact of stand density on tree growth at physiological and molecular levels. Our observations provide theoretical support for plantation establishment of L. chinense. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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20 pages, 15927 KiB  
Article
The Role of Climate Change and Its Sensitivity on Long-Term Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, Vegetation and Drought Changing Trends over East Asia
by Shahzad Ali, Abdul Basit, Muhammad Umair, Tyan Alice Makanda, Mohammed Rafi Shaik, Mohammad Ibrahim and Jian Ni
Plants 2024, 13(3), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030399 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1188
Abstract
Droughts have become more severe and frequent due to global warming. In this context, it is widely accepted that for drought assessments, both water supply (rainfall) and demand (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, SPEI) should be considered. Using SPEI, we explored the spatial-temporal patterns [...] Read more.
Droughts have become more severe and frequent due to global warming. In this context, it is widely accepted that for drought assessments, both water supply (rainfall) and demand (standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, SPEI) should be considered. Using SPEI, we explored the spatial-temporal patterns of dry and wet annual and seasonal changes in five sub-regions of East Asia during 1902–2018. These factors are linked to excess drought frequency and severity on the regional scale, and their effect on vegetation remains an important topic for climate change studies. Our results show that the SPEI significantly improved extreme drought and mostly affected the SPEI-06 and SPEI-12 growing seasons in East Asia during 1981–2018. The dry and wet annual SPEI trends mostly affect the five sub-regions of East Asia. The annual SPEI had two extremely dry spells during 1936–1947 and 1978–2018. Japan, South Korea, and North Korea are wet in the summer compared to other regions of East Asia, with drought frequency occurring at 51.4%, respectively. The mean drought frequencies in China and Mongolia are 57.4% and 54.6%. China and Mongolia are the driest regions in East Asia due to high drought frequency and duration. The spatial seasonal analysis of solar radiation (SR), water vapor pressure (WVP), wind speed (WS), vegetation condition index (VCI), temperature condition index (TCI), and vegetation health index (VHI) have confirmed that the East Asia region suffered from maximum drought events. The seasonal variation of SPEI shows no clear drying trends during summer and autumn seasons. During the winter and spring seasons, there was a dry trend in East Asia region. During 1902–1990, a seasonal SPEI presented diverse characteristics, with clear wet trends in Japan, Mongolia, and North Korea in four different growing seasons, with dry trends in China and South Korea. During 1991–2018, seasonal SPEI presented clear dry trends in Japan, Mongolia, and North Korea in different growing seasons, while China and South Korea showed a wet trend during the spring, autumn, and winter seasons. This ecological and climatic mechanism provides a good basis for the assessment of vegetation and drought-change variations within East Asia. An understandings of long-term vegetation trends and the effects of rainfall and SPEI on droughts of varying severity is essential for water resource management and climate change adaptation. Based on the results, water resources will increase under global warming, which may alleviate the water scarcity issue in the East Asia region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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26 pages, 5354 KiB  
Article
Distribution Patterns of Gymnosperm Species along Elevations on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: Effects of Climatic Seasonality, Energy–Water, and Physical Tolerance Variables
by Muhammad Umair, Xiaofei Hu, Qi Cheng, Shahzad Ali and Jian Ni
Plants 2023, 12(23), 4066; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12234066 - 04 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1110
Abstract
Climate change is one of the most prominent factors influencing the spatial distribution of plants in China, including gymnosperms. Climatic factors influence gymnosperm distribution along elevational gradients on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Plateau (QTP), and understanding how species adapt to these factors is important [...] Read more.
Climate change is one of the most prominent factors influencing the spatial distribution of plants in China, including gymnosperms. Climatic factors influence gymnosperm distribution along elevational gradients on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Plateau (QTP), and understanding how species adapt to these factors is important for identifying the impacts of global climate change. For the first time, we examined the county-level distribution of gymnosperm species on QTP using data from field surveys, published works, monographs, and internet sources. We used simulated distribution data of gymnosperms (N = 79) along the elevational gradients to investigate the overall impact of environmental variables in explaining the richness pattern of gymnosperms. Eighteen environmental variables were classified into three key variable sets (climatic seasonality, energy–water, and physical tolerance). We employed principal component analysis and generalized linear models to assess the impact of climatic variables on the gymnosperm’s richness pattern. Gymnosperm species are unevenly distributed across the plateau and decline gradually from the southeast to the northwest. The altitudinal gradients have a unimodal relationship with the richness of gymnosperms, with the maximum species richness at an elevation of 3200 m. The joint effects of physical tolerance and energy–water predictors have explained the highest diversity of gymnosperms at mid-elevation. Because the richness peak correlates significantly with the wettest month’s precipitation and moisture index, this confirms the significance of moisture on gymnosperm distributions due to increased precipitation during the wet season. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that climatic seasonality factors are involved in the decline of gymnosperm richness at high elevations. A total of 37% of gymnosperm species on QTP are listed as vulnerable, nearly threatened, or endangered, with elevations ranging from 600 m to 5300 m. As a result, we conclude that gymnosperms are at high risk of extinction because of the current climate fluctuations caused by global climate change. Our research offers fundamental data for the study and protection of gymnosperm species along the steepest elevation gradients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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17 pages, 3307 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Net Primary Productivity Variation and Quantitative Assessment of Driving Forces—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Basin
by Chenxi Liu, Shuo Shi, Tong Wang, Wei Gong, Lu Xu, Zixi Shi, Jie Du and Fangfang Qu
Plants 2023, 12(19), 3412; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193412 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1037
Abstract
Net primary productivity (NPP) can indirectly reflect vegetation’s capacity for CO2 fixation, but its spatiotemporal dynamics are subject to alterations to some extent due to the influences of climate change and human activities. In this study, NPP is used as an indicator [...] Read more.
Net primary productivity (NPP) can indirectly reflect vegetation’s capacity for CO2 fixation, but its spatiotemporal dynamics are subject to alterations to some extent due to the influences of climate change and human activities. In this study, NPP is used as an indicator to investigate vegetarian carbon ability changes in the vital ecosystems of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) in China. We also explored the NPP responses to climate change and human activities. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the temporal dynamics and spatial variations in NPP within the YRB ecosystems from 2003 to 2020. Furthermore, we employed residual analysis to quantitatively assess the contributions of climate factors and human activities to NPP changes. The research findings are as follows: (1) Over the 18-year period, the average NPP within the basin amounted to 543.95 gC/m2, displaying a noticeable fluctuating upward trend with a growth rate of approximately 3.1 gC/m2; (2) The areas exhibiting an increasing trend in NPP account for 82.55% of the total study area. Regions with relatively high stability in the basin covered 62.36% of the total area, while areas with low stability accounted for 2.22%, mainly situated in the Hengduan Mountains of the western Sichuan Plateau; (3) NPP improvement was jointly driven by human activities and climate change, with human activities contributing more significantly to NPP growth. Specifically, the contributions were 65.39% in total, with human activities contributing 59.28% and climate change contributing 40.01%. This study provides an objective assessment of the contributions of human activities and climate change to vegetation productivity, offering crucial insights for future ecosystem development and environmental planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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18 pages, 6084 KiB  
Article
Considering Climatic Factors, Time Lag, and Cumulative Effects of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation NDVI in Yinshanbeilu, China
by Sinan Wang, Xiaomin Liu and Yingjie Wu
Plants 2023, 12(18), 3312; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183312 - 19 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 986
Abstract
Climate and human activities are the basic driving forces that control and influence the spatial distribution and change of vegetation. Using trend analysis, the Hurst index, correlation analysis, the Moran index, path analysis, residual analysis, and other methods, the effects of human activities [...] Read more.
Climate and human activities are the basic driving forces that control and influence the spatial distribution and change of vegetation. Using trend analysis, the Hurst index, correlation analysis, the Moran index, path analysis, residual analysis, and other methods, the effects of human activities and climate factors on vegetation change were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The research area’s normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) exhibited a substantial upward trend from 2001 to 2020, increasing at a rate of 0.003/a, and the vegetation cover was generally healthy. The generally constant NDVI region made up 78.45% of the entire area, and the grassland, cultivated land, and forest land showed the most visible NDVI aggregation features. (2) The Vegetation is mainly promoted by water and heat, particularly precipitation, have a major impact on plants, with the direct influence of precipitation on vegetation growth being much greater than the indirect effect through the temperature. (3) The trend of NDVI residuals showed obvious spatial variability, presenting a distribution characteristic of high in the south and low in the north. The results of this study can provide a basis for the scientific layout of ecological protection and restoration projects in the Yinshanbeilu area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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12 pages, 2851 KiB  
Article
Precipitation Dominates the Allocation Strategy of Above- and Belowground Biomass in Plants on Macro Scales
by Xianxian Wang, Xiaohong Chen, Jiali Xu, Yuhui Ji, Xiaoxuan Du and Jie Gao
Plants 2023, 12(15), 2843; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152843 - 01 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 931
Abstract
The allocation of biomass reflects a plant’s resource utilization strategy and is significantly influenced by climatic factors. However, it remains unclear how climate factors affect the aboveground and belowground biomass allocation patterns on macro scales. To address this, a study was conducted using [...] Read more.
The allocation of biomass reflects a plant’s resource utilization strategy and is significantly influenced by climatic factors. However, it remains unclear how climate factors affect the aboveground and belowground biomass allocation patterns on macro scales. To address this, a study was conducted using aboveground and belowground biomass data for 486 species across 294 sites in China, investigating the effects of climate change on biomass allocation patterns. The results show that the proportion of belowground biomass in the total biomass (BGBP) or root-to-shoot ratio (R/S) in the northwest region of China is significantly higher than that in the southeast region. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in BGBP or R/S among different types of plants (trees, shrubs, and herbs plants), with values for herb plants being significantly higher than shrubs and tree species. On macro scales, precipitation and soil nutrient factors (i.e., soil nitrogen and phosphorus content) are positively correlated with BGBP or R/S, while temperature and functional traits are negatively correlated. Climate factors contribute more to driving plant biomass allocation strategies than soil and functional trait factors. Climate factors determine BGBP by changing other functional traits of plants. However, climate factors influence R/S mainly by affecting the availability of soil nutrients. The results quantify the productivity and carbon sequestration capacity of terrestrial ecosystems and provide important theoretical guidance for the management of forests, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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15 pages, 4895 KiB  
Article
Differences in the Suitable Distribution Area between Northern and Southern China Landscape Plants
by Chen Wang, Qianqian Sheng, Runan Zhao and Zunling Zhu
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2710; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142710 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 958
Abstract
Climate change, a global biodiversity threat, largely influences the geographical distribution patterns of species. China is abundant in woody landscape plants. However, studies on the differences in the adaptive changes of plants under climate change between northern and southern China are unavailable. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Climate change, a global biodiversity threat, largely influences the geographical distribution patterns of species. China is abundant in woody landscape plants. However, studies on the differences in the adaptive changes of plants under climate change between northern and southern China are unavailable. Therefore, herein, the MaxEnt model was used to predict changes in the suitable distribution area (SDA) and dominant environmental variables of 29 tree species under two climate change scenarios, the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) 126 and 585, based on 29 woody plant species and 20 environmental variables in northern and southern China to assess the differences in the adaptive changes of plants between the two under climate change. Temperature factors dominated the SDA distribution of both northern and southern plants. Southern plants are often dominated by one climatic factor, whereas northern plants are influenced by a combination of climatic factors. Northern plants are under greater pressure from SDA change than southern plants, and their SDA shrinkage tendency is significantly higher. However, no significant difference was observed between northern and southern plants in SDA expansion, mean SDA elevation, and latitudinal change in the SDA mass center. Future climate change will drive northern and southern plants to migrate to higher latitudes rather than to higher elevations. Therefore, future climate change has varying effects on plant SDAs within China. The climate change intensity will drive northern landscape plants to experience greater SDA-change-related pressure than southern landscape plants. Therefore, northern landscape plants must be heavily monitored and protected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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16 pages, 6003 KiB  
Article
The Seasonal Divergence in the Weakening Relationship between Interannual Temperature Changes and Northern Boreal Vegetation Activity
by Haijiang Zhao, Ning Jin, Xiurong Wang, Guiqin Fu, Kunlun Xiang, Liang Wang and Jie Zhao
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2447; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132447 - 25 Jun 2023
Viewed by 772
Abstract
The response of boreal vegetation to global warming has shown a weakening trend over the last three decades. However, in previous studies, models of vegetation activity responses to temperature change have often only considered changes in the mean daily temperature (Tmean), [...] Read more.
The response of boreal vegetation to global warming has shown a weakening trend over the last three decades. However, in previous studies, models of vegetation activity responses to temperature change have often only considered changes in the mean daily temperature (Tmean), with the diurnal temperature range (DTR) being neglected. The goal of this study was to evaluate the temporal trends of the relationships between two temperature factors (Tmean and DTR) and the vegetation activity across the boreal regions on both annual and seasonal timescales, by simultaneously employing satellite and climate datasets. We found that the interannual partial correlation between the growing season (GS) NDVI and Tmean (RNDVI−Tmean) has shown a significant decreasing trend over the last 34 years. At the seasonal scale, the RNDVI−Tmean showed a significant upward trend in the spring, while in the summer and autumn, the RNDVI−Tmean exhibited a significant downward trend. The temporal trend characteristics of the partial correlation between the NDVI and DTR (RNDVI−DTR), at both the GS and seasonal scales, were fully consistent with the RNDVI−Tmean. The area with a significant decrease in the GS RNDVI−Tmean and RNDVI−DTR accounted for approximately 44.4% and 41.2% of the boreal region with the 17-year moving window, respectively. In stark contrast, the area exhibiting a significant increasing trend in the GS RNDVI−Tmean and RNDVI−DTR accounted for only approximately 22.3% and 25.8% of the boreal region with the 17-year moving window, respectively. With respect to the seasonal patterns of the RNDVI−Tmean and RNDVI−DTR, the area with a significant upward trend in the spring was greater than that with a significant downward trend. Nevertheless, more areas had a significant downward trend in the RNDVI−Tmean and RNDVI−DTR in summer and autumn than a significant upward trend. Overall, our research reveals a weakening trend in the impact of temperature on the vegetation activity in the boreal regions and contributes to a deeper understanding of the vegetation response to global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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16 pages, 3283 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Suitable Planting Areas for Pyrus Species under Climate Change in China
by Mi Wang, Zhuowei Hu, Yongcai Wang and Wenji Zhao
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1559; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071559 - 05 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1548
Abstract
Planting suitability determines the distribution and yield of crops in a given region which can be greatly affected by climate change. In recent years, many studies have shown that carbon dioxide fertilization effects increase the productivity of temperate deciduous fruit trees under a [...] Read more.
Planting suitability determines the distribution and yield of crops in a given region which can be greatly affected by climate change. In recent years, many studies have shown that carbon dioxide fertilization effects increase the productivity of temperate deciduous fruit trees under a changing climate, but the potential risks to fruit tree planting caused by a reduction in suitable planting areas are rarely reported. In this study, Maxent was first used to investigate the spatial distribution of five Pyrus species in China, and the consistency between the actual production area and the modeled climatically suitable area under the current climatic conditions were determined. In addition, based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, three climate models were used to simulate the change in suitable area and the migration trend for different species under different emission scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5). The results showed that the suitable area for pear was highly consistent with the actual main production area under current climate conditions. The potential planting areas of P. ussuriensis showed a downward trend under all emission paths from 2020 to 2100; other species showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing or slowing down and this growth effect was the most obvious in 2020–2040. Except for P. pashia, other species showed a migration trend toward a high latitude, and the trend was more prominent under the high emission path. Our results emphasize the response difference between species to climate change, and the method of consistency analysis between suitable planting area and actual production regions cannot only evaluate the potential planting risk but also provide a reasonable idea for the accuracy test of the modeled results. This work has certain guiding and reference significance for the protection of pear germplasm resources and the prediction of yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responses of Vegetation to Global Climate Change)
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