Concurrent Climate Extremes and Impacts on Ecosystems in Southwest China

Abstract

Global warming and its associated changes in temperature and precipitation have significantly affected the ecosystem in Southwest China, yet studies that integrate temperature and precipitation changes are inadequate for quantitatively assessing the impacts of extreme events on ecosystems. In this study, the return period of concurrent climate extremes characterized by precipitation deficit and extreme temperature and the spatial and temporal dynamic patterns of their impacts on ecosystems were assessed by using high-precision temperature and precipitation data, as well as NDVI and NPP data collected for the 1985–2015 period. The results show that the 2009 concurrent event had a return period of about 200 years. The return periods of individual climate factors are significantly overestimated or underestimated. Concurrent events significantly reduced the spring and annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and net primary productivity (NPP) in Southwest China. The magnitude of the reduction in vegetation greenness and productivity increased with the intensity of concurrent events. Concurrent events beginning in autumn 2009 reduced spring NDVI and NPP by 8.8% and 23%, and annual NDVI and NPP by 2.23% and 7.22%, respectively. Under future climate scenarios, the return period of concurrent events could be significantly shortened, which would have a more severe impact on regional ecosystems.