THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NDVI AND CLIMATE ELEMENTS FOR 22 YEARS IN DIFFERENT VEGETATION AREAS OF NORTHWEST CHINA

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.02.008

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims We sought to understand the impacts of climate change on vegetation in Northwest China and the relationship between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and climate elements.
Methods Correlation analyses were done using the GIMMS NDVI data and monthly mean temperature and precipitation data from January 1982 to December 2003. We selected different regions in Northwest China, representing major types of vegetation, such as forest, grassland, oasis, and rain-fed cropland, for detailed study.
Important findings We found strong correlations between NDVI and temperature/precipitation, except for the Gobi and other desert areas. Correlation coefficients of NDVI and temperature are higher than them of NDVI and precipitation in almost all regions, particularly for the Hexi Corridor and most of the Xinjiang area. During the vegetation growth period, temperature has greater effect on the various types of vegetation than precipitation. The forests in the higher latitude of Xinjiang area are most sensitive to temperature. This sensitivity reduces in sequence from forests to oases, grasslands and unirrigated croplands. Grasslands are most sensitive to precipitation. The sensitivity to precipitation decreases from grasslands to forests, unirrigated croplands, and oases. In summer, the NDVI of forest decreased during the last 22 years, especially forest in the eastern portion of the northwest. This was related to decreases of precipitation and increases of temperature in these areas. The NDVI in most grassland increased. The trends were significant for high cold meadow and halophytic meadow. Climate warming is the main reason for grass growth speeding up. For oases, the NDVI increases were the most significant. The trends were the highest in Xinjiang oasis. Climate warming was one of the factors driving increases in NDVI. The impact of human activities, such as oasis expanding, crop structure change and crop varieties on the NDVI variation cannot be ignored. The NDVI interannual change was high and varied among the unirrigated croplands. NDVI had a strong positive correlation with precipitation and a negative correlation with temperature. The temperature increase and the precipitation decrease caused the NDVI decrease in these areas.

Key words: NDVI, vegetation, climate change, correlation analysis, Northwest China

GUO Ni, ZHU Yan-Jun, WANG Jie-Min, DENG Chao-Ping. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NDVI AND CLIMATE ELEMENTS FOR 22 YEARS IN DIFFERENT VEGETATION AREAS OF NORTHWEST CHINA[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2008, 32(2): 319-327.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.02.008

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2008/V32/I2/319

Figures/Tables 5

References 18

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植被类型 Vegetation types	月平均气温 Monthly mean temperature					月平均降水 Monthly mean precipitation
植被类型 Vegetation types	同期 Synchronous -ness	滞后1个月 Lag one month	滞后2个月 Lag two months	最大值 Max.		同期 Synchronous -ness	滞后1个月 Lag one month	滞后2个月 Lag two months	最大值 Max.
林区平均 Mean of forests	0.939	0.854	0.541		0.939	0.712	0.629	0.359	0.712
草原区Grasslands
高寒草甸High cold meadows	0.838	0.865	0.680		0.865	0.789	0.833	0.578	0.833
温带草原Temperate steppes	0.807	0.802	0.595		0.807	0.485	0.569	0.408	0.569
盐生草甸Halophytic meadows	0.731	0.757	0.597		0.757	0.428	0.477	0.391	0.477
雨养农业Rain feed croplands	0.835	0.768	0.496		0.835	0.651	0.583	0.320	0.651
灌溉农业(绿洲)Irrigation croplands (Oases)	0.855	0.868	0.656		0.855	0.467	0.467	0.353	0.467

植被类型 Vegetation types	月平均气温 Monthly mean temperature					月平均降水 Monthly mean precipitation
植被类型 Vegetation types	同期 Synchronous -ness	滞后1个月 Lag one month	滞后2个月 Lag two months	最大值 Max.		同期 Synchronous -ness	滞后1个月 Lag one month	滞后2个月 Lag two months	最大值 Max.
林区平均 Mean of forests	0.939	0.854	0.541		0.939	0.712	0.629	0.359	0.712
草原区Grasslands
高寒草甸High cold meadows	0.838	0.865	0.680		0.865	0.789	0.833	0.578	0.833
温带草原Temperate steppes	0.807	0.802	0.595		0.807	0.485	0.569	0.408	0.569
盐生草甸Halophytic meadows	0.731	0.757	0.597		0.757	0.428	0.477	0.391	0.477
雨养农业Rain feed croplands	0.835	0.768	0.496		0.835	0.651	0.583	0.320	0.651
灌溉农业(绿洲)Irrigation croplands (Oases)	0.855	0.868	0.656		0.855	0.467	0.467	0.353	0.467

区域 Regions	总降水 Total precipitation			平均气温 Mean temperature
	月份 Month			月份 Month
		5~7	6~8	5~8		5~7	6~8	5~8
天山林Forests in Tianshan Mountain	0.467^**	0.267	0.421^*	-0.231	-0.137	-0.235
小陇山Forests in Xiaolongshan Mountain	0.095	-0.003	0.007	-0.443^**	-0.345	-0.420^*
子午岭Forests in Ziwuling Mountain	-0.184	-0.193	-0.291	-0.308	-0.282	-0.208
秦岭Forests in Qinling Mountain	0.005	0.130	0.107	-0.290	-0.256	-0.344
阿勒泰温带草原 Temperate steppes in Aertai	0.525 9^**	0.383 8^*	0.459 5^**	-0.392^*	-0.195	-0.312
祁连山温带草原Temperate steppes in Qilianshan	0.465 8^**	0.348	0.386 9^*	-0.512^**	-0.336	-0.420^**
盐生草甸Halophytic meadows	-0.022	-0.159	-0.104	0.276	0.378 6^*	0.293
高寒草甸High-cold meadows	0.088	0.060	0.063	0.386^*	0.470 1^**	0.420 8^*
董志塬Rain feed croplands in Dongzhiyuan	0.738^***	0.336	0.496^**	-0.030	0.051	-0.067
陇中地区Rain feed croplands in Longzhong	0.766	0.206	0.486^**	-0.364^*	-0.167	-0.277
陕北延安Rain feed croplands in Yan'an	0.460^**	0.124	0.337	-0.801^***	-0.671^***	-0.771^***
关中平原Rain feed croplands in Guanzhong	0.487^**	0.349	0.368^*	-0.469^**	-0.417^*	-0.458^**
北疆绿洲Oases in North Xinjiang	0.224	0.284	0.328	0.291	0.364 1^*	0.283
南疆北部绿洲Oases in north part of Sorth Xinjiang	0.412 5^*	0.421 8^*	0.411 1^*	0.260	0.029	0.068
南疆南部绿洲Oases in sorth part of Sorth Xinjiang	0.203	0.239	0.247	0.192	-0.019	0.026
河西绿洲Oases in Hexi Corridor	0.006	0.120	0.041	0.332	0.375 7^*	0.303
宁夏绿洲Oases in Ningxia	0.319	0.105	0.150	0.290	0.525 4^**	0.394^*

区域 Regions	总降水 Total precipitation			平均气温 Mean temperature
	月份 Month			月份 Month
		5~7	6~8	5~8		5~7	6~8	5~8
天山林Forests in Tianshan Mountain	0.467^**	0.267	0.421^*	-0.231	-0.137	-0.235
小陇山Forests in Xiaolongshan Mountain	0.095	-0.003	0.007	-0.443^**	-0.345	-0.420^*
子午岭Forests in Ziwuling Mountain	-0.184	-0.193	-0.291	-0.308	-0.282	-0.208
秦岭Forests in Qinling Mountain	0.005	0.130	0.107	-0.290	-0.256	-0.344
阿勒泰温带草原 Temperate steppes in Aertai	0.525 9^**	0.383 8^*	0.459 5^**	-0.392^*	-0.195	-0.312
祁连山温带草原Temperate steppes in Qilianshan	0.465 8^**	0.348	0.386 9^*	-0.512^**	-0.336	-0.420^**
盐生草甸Halophytic meadows	-0.022	-0.159	-0.104	0.276	0.378 6^*	0.293
高寒草甸High-cold meadows	0.088	0.060	0.063	0.386^*	0.470 1^**	0.420 8^*
董志塬Rain feed croplands in Dongzhiyuan	0.738^***	0.336	0.496^**	-0.030	0.051	-0.067
陇中地区Rain feed croplands in Longzhong	0.766	0.206	0.486^**	-0.364^*	-0.167	-0.277
陕北延安Rain feed croplands in Yan'an	0.460^**	0.124	0.337	-0.801^***	-0.671^***	-0.771^***
关中平原Rain feed croplands in Guanzhong	0.487^**	0.349	0.368^*	-0.469^**	-0.417^*	-0.458^**
北疆绿洲Oases in North Xinjiang	0.224	0.284	0.328	0.291	0.364 1^*	0.283
南疆北部绿洲Oases in north part of Sorth Xinjiang	0.412 5^*	0.421 8^*	0.411 1^*	0.260	0.029	0.068
南疆南部绿洲Oases in sorth part of Sorth Xinjiang	0.203	0.239	0.247	0.192	-0.019	0.026
河西绿洲Oases in Hexi Corridor	0.006	0.120	0.041	0.332	0.375 7^*	0.303
宁夏绿洲Oases in Ningxia	0.319	0.105	0.150	0.290	0.525 4^**	0.394^*