Abstract
Changes in climate extremes have a profound impact on vegetation growth. In this study, we employed the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and a recently published climate extremes dataset (HadEX3) to study the temporal and spatial evolution of vegetation cover, and its responses to climate extremes in the arid region of northwest China (ARNC). Mann-Kendall test, Anomaly analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, Time lag cross-correlation method, and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression (Lasso) were conducted to quantitatively analyze the response characteristics between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and climate extremes from 2000 to 2018. The results showed that: (1) The vegetation in the ARNC had a fluctuating upward trend, with vegetation significantly increasing in Xinjiang Tianshan, Altai Mountain, and Tarim Basin, and decreasing in the central inland desert. (2) Temperature extremes showed an increasing trend, with extremely high-temperature events increasing and extremely low-temperature events decreasing. Precipitation extremes events also exhibited a slightly increasing trend. (3) NDVI was overall positively correlated with the climate extremes indices (CEIs), although both positive and negative correlations spatially coexisted. (4) The responses of NDVI and climate extremes showed time lag effects and spatial differences in the growing period. (5) Precipitation extremes were closely related to NDVI than temperature extremes according to Lasso modeling results. This study provides a reference for understanding vegetation variations and their response to climate extremes in arid regions.
Highlights
Climate change is increasingly impacting climate extremes events worldwide [1,2].climate extreme events occur frequently, causing high temperatures, heat waves, cold snaps, droughts, rainstorms, and floods, which have significant impacts on ecological systems and human society [3,4,5,6], which can cause a large number of casualties, loss of property, vegetation and animals
(3) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was overall positively correlated with the climate extremes indices (CEIs), both positive and negative correlations spatially coexisted
This study provides a reference for understanding vegetation variations and their response to climate extremes in arid regions
Summary
Climate change is increasingly impacting climate extremes events worldwide [1,2]. Climate extreme events occur frequently, causing high temperatures, heat waves, cold snaps, droughts, rainstorms, and floods, which have significant impacts on ecological systems and human society [3,4,5,6], which can cause a large number of casualties, loss of property, vegetation and animals. Vegetation connects the material circulation and energy flow of the soil, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, and plays an important role in regulating the terrestrial carbon balance and the climate system. Dynamic changes in vegetation are often a response to climate change and human activities [7]. Temperature and precipitation have the most direct and important influence on vegetation [8]. Climate extremes are more destructive than average climate events [9]
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