Temperature tipping point affects the afforestation by exacerbating water stress impact in northern China

Abstract

Temperature affects the sparse vegetation growth by controlling the water circulation in the desertification land and its tipping point is significant for afforestation. In this study, the temperature tipping point is detected by analyzing the tendency of Mean Absolute Distances (MAD) distribution highly related to the fractional cover of sparse vegetation in northern China during 2001 ∼ 2015. And Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) algorithm is used to explain how does the temperature affect the sparse vegetation growth. The results show that the temperature tipping point is ∼32 ± 6℃. Temperature affects the sparse vegetation growth by exacerbating water stress impact. It can directly affect the sparse vegetation growth or indirectly affect the precipitation by influencing evapotranspiration in the desertification land. Once the temperature exceeds the tipping point, the landcover types are mostly covered by desert. This result can provide theoretical references for future afforestation in the desertification land.