Abstract
Grassland biomass is essential for maintaining grassland ecosystems. Moreover, biomass is an important characteristic of grassland. In this study, we combined field sampling with remote sensing data and calculated five vegetation indices (VIs). Using this combined information, we quantified a remote sensing estimation model and estimated biomass in a temperate grassland of northern China. We also explored the dynamic spatio-temporal variation of biomass from 2006 to 2012. Our results indicated that all VIs investigated in the study were strongly correlated with biomass (α < 0.01). The precision of the model for estimating biomass based on ground data and remote sensing was greater than 73%. Additionally, the results of our analysis indicated that the annual average biomass was 11.86 million tons and that the average yield was 604.5 kg/ha. The distribution of biomass exhibited substantial spatial heterogeneity, and the biomass decreased from the eastern portion of the study area to the western portion. The interannual biomass exhibited strong fluctuations during 2006–2012, with a coefficient of variation of 26.95%. The coefficient of variation of biomass differed among the grassland types. The highest coefficient of variation was found for the desert steppe, followed by the typical steppe and the meadow steppe.
Highlights
Grassland ecosystems represent 40.5% of the land surface of the Earth [1], and their net primary productivity represents approximately 20% of total terrestrial productivity [2]
The results indicated that the biomass and the five vegetation indices (VIs) exhibited significant correlations (α < 0.01)
Due to the variability of vegetation and hydrothermal conditions in the different grassland types, different VIs were applicable to different steppe regions
Summary
Grassland ecosystems represent 40.5% of the land surface of the Earth [1], and their net primary productivity represents approximately 20% of total terrestrial productivity [2]. Grasslands play an important role in global carbon cycling. As an important component of the terrestrial ecosystem of China, grassland ecosystems are one of the major ecosystems and an important contributor to energy exchange, carbon pools and biogeochemical cycles [3]. Biomass is a core component of the terrestrial ecosystem and the foundation of grassland, forest, cropland and other terrestrial ecosystems. Numerous case studies of grassland biomass have documented the increasingly prominent role of grassland ecosystems [5,6,7,8]. Accurate measurements of grassland biomass and its temporal and spatial variation are important for the utilization and protection of grassland resources
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