The response of vegetation dynamics to climate change in the southwestern karst region of China since the early 1980s

Abstract

The relationship between climate change and vegetation dynamics has been identified by recent studies in global and regional scales.Based on previous researches and AVHRR GIMMS NDVI and AVHRR GloPEM NPP data sets,this paper analyzes the response of vegetation dynamics to climate change in the southwestern karst region of China since the early 1980s by extracting each pixel's information.The results show that:(1) since the early 1980s,both vegetation cover density and net primary production have the ascending tendencies.However,interannual variation rates of vegetation indexes have apparent spatial differentiations;(2) correlation coefficients between the interannual variations of vegetation indexes and the interannual variations of climate factors also have apparent spatial differentiations;(3) various vegetation types have different responses to climate change,and the annual mean temperature variations have more significant impact on vegetation dynamics than the annual precipitation variations;and(4) the distribution laws of correlation coefficients between the interannual variations of vegetation indexes and the interannual variations of climate factors under different climate conditions are apparent.The study of the response of vegetation dynamics to climate change in the southwestern karst region of China will enrich our knowledge of the natural courses which impact the stability of karst ecosystems and provide scientific basis for the management of karst ecosystems.