Distribution Characteristics of the Alpine Treeline and Vegetation Response to Climate Change of Taibai Mountain, China

Abstract

Climate change significantly affects global forest ecosystems, and the alpine treeline is sensitive to global warming. The alpine treeline data using high-resolution remote sensing images during four periods from 1987 to 2020 at Taibai Mountain are extracted. The dynamic change process of the alpine treeline and the response of vegetation near the alpine treeline to climate change are analyzed. The results showed that the alpine treeline of Taibai Mountain was primarily distributed in the range of 2266-3692 m, and the average elevation of the alpine treeline showed a trend of “rising-decreasing.” The elevation of the alpine treelines of the sunny slopes were much higher than that of the shady slopes, and the highest values typically appeared on slopes and steep slopes of 15-35°. Vegetation is sensitive to temperature changes, and it typically displays a synchronous increase and decrease. However, there was a lag in the precipitation of approximately one year, and the rising temperatures of the sunny slopes were not conducive to vegetation growth. The vegetation will be dominated by a trend of unsustainable improvement in the future, and there exists a risk of continuous vegetation degradation on the northern slopes. However, a warm and humid climate will be conducive to vegetation growth above the alpine treeline.