Abstract
Temperature and precipitation are considered to be the most important indicators affecting the green-up date. Sensitivity of the green-up date to temperature and precipitation is considered to be one of the key indicators to characterize the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. We selected the main grassland types for analysis, including temperate steppe, temperate meadow steppe, upland meadow, and lowland meadow. This study investigates the variation in key meteorological indicators (daily maximum temperature (Tmax), daily minimum temperature (Tmin), and precipitation) between 2001 and 2018. We then examined the partial correlation and sensitivity of green-up date (GUD) to Tmax, Tmin, and precipitation. Our analysis indicated that the average GUD across the whole area was DOY 113. The mean GUD trend was −3.1 days/decade and the 25% region advanced significantly. Tmax and Tmin mainly showed a decreasing trend in winter (p > 0.05). In spring, Tmax mainly showed an increasing trend (p > 0.05) and Tmin a decreasing trend (p > 0.05). Precipitation showed no significant (p > 0.05) change trend and the trend range was ±10 mm/decade. For temperate steppe, the increase in Tmin in March promotes green-up (27.3%, the proportion of significant pixels), with a sensitivity of −0.17 days/°C. In addition, precipitation in April also promotes green-up (21.7%), with a sensitivity of −0.32 days/mm. The GUDs of temperate meadow steppe (73.9%), lowland meadow (65.9%), and upland meadow (22.1%) were mainly affected by Tmin in March, with sensitivities of −0.15 days/°C, −0.13 days/°C, and −0.14 days/°C, respectively. The results of this study reveal the response of vegetation to climate warming and contribute to improving the prediction of ecological changes as temperatures increase in the future.
Highlights
Global temperatures continue to warm as a component of climate change, which affects many ecological patterns [1]
90 in warm and dry areas to DOY 150 in cold and wet areas across the Hulun of year) 90 in warm and dry areas to DOY 150 in cold and wet areas across the Hulun Buir grassland; the analysis revealed spatial variations that were delayed from the west
Buir grassland; the analysis revealed spatial variations that were delayed from the grassland; the analysis revealed spatial variations that were delayed from the west and east thetocentral region
Summary
Global temperatures continue to warm as a component of climate change, which affects many ecological patterns [1]. Phenology is the study of the development of plant and animal behavior throughout the year [2]. 2022, 14, 670 warming, plant phenology has undergone profound changes and has become a sensitive indicator of global change [4]. Climate change alters the time of phenological events [5,6], which may disrupt seasonal interactions between species, thereby affecting biodiversity and ecosystem primary production [7,8]. To climate change, it is increasingly important to pay attention to the interannual variation of GUD relative to the temperature/precipitation change per unit, which is called the temperature/precipitation sensitivity (days/◦ C or days/mm, respectively) [9,10,11].
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