Impact Of Anthropogenic Activities Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION IN MARINE SEDIMENTS IN TERENGGANU WATERS

The distribution of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in surface sediments was examined in waters off the coast of Marang, Terengganu. A total of 20 samples were collected using Ponar grab and analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer after closed digestion with acid. The sediments were filtered using a dry sieving method to determine their particle size. The spatial distribution maps on the concentration of selected metals were drawn using the ArcGIS software. Results showed that the average concentration of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were 2.33±0.38 μg/g dry weight, 28.4±3.78 μg/g dry weight, 0.09±0.01 μg/g dry weight and 8.35±1.48 μg/g dry weight, respectively. The level of pollution was also evaluated using the Index of Geoaccumulation (Igeo) and Pollution Load Index (PLI). All Igeo and PLI values obtained were low, which indicated low or no pollution. Meanwhile, the sediment mean size ranged between -0.77Ø and 3.18Ø, which characterised a sandy type of sediment. Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the heavy metals and sediment size. The results indicated that there was a common source of heavy metal pollution in the study area, possibly from shipping activities. Overall, there was no significant heavy metal pollution in the waters off Marang. This finding is important as the data could be used to evaluate the risk of metal contamination and the impact of anthropogenic activities on the marine environment.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on landslide occurrences in southwest India: An investigation using spatial models

Landslides are global natural hazards with significant social and economic impact. The study is conducted in the wake of landslide occurrences in Kerala state, India, during 2018–2019. This study aims to demarcate landslide hotspots in the study area, identify anthropogenic activities, and critically examine their role in landslide occurrences. The identified landslide hotspots are utilized to comprehend spatial patterns of landslide distribution throughout the state. The landslide hotspots are concentrated in Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Anthropogenic conditioning factors stimulating landslide occurrences are identified from land-use activities and the results obtained manifest that about 59.38% of total landslides have occurred in the plantation area. Human-induced parameters accelerating landslides are examined along with other natural parameters using various regression methods in the latter part of the study. The modelling techniques used in the study are the ordinary least square (OLS), spatial autoregressive model (SAR), and geographically weighted regression (GWR). All models point to the fact that anthropogenic activities such as plantation, quarry, road density, and cropland influence landslide occurrences. Results of both spatial models give excellent predictive capability compared to the OLS model. SAR analyzes the spatial interaction of parameters globally, whereas GWR considers the local aspect. The study encapsulates the importance of global and local spatial models in landslide studies based on their applicability.

The impact of anthropogenic activities on the physicochemical characteristics of Cheleleka peat, Ethiopia

Cheleleka peatland is located at the eastern side of Lake Hawassa and its biological communities face a variety of anthropogenic factors such as agricultural expansion, water diversion, settlement and subsequent peatland drainage and peat extraction. The decomposing products were influenced by various anthropogenic activities. This study aims to identify the impact of human activities on peat characteristics. The result indicates that the peat soil is acidic having a pH value ranging from 4.1-to-4.7 and containing humic acid due to excessive accumulation of organic matter and nutrients. The maturity level of the peat was almost similar in all study sites, except for the Daka site, and are classified under mostly decomposed. At Wesha, Werka, Wendo, Shalo, Cheffe, and Wendo, sites the maturity of the peat was classified under sapric soil. Exceptionally, at Daka Site, the peat maturity level was hemic. The percentage of sand, clay, and silt of the peatland range 40-50% clay, 30-40% silt and 10-20% sandy. The mean organic carbon content of Cheleleka peatland ranged from 4.48 to 38.65% and positively correlated with the thickness of the peat and negatively correlated with the ash content of the peat. The main effects of unsustainable landuse practice on peatland are peat reduction/complete loss, reduce water and nutrient retention capacity due to drainage and compaction of peat due to overgrazing. Changes in drainage, vegetation cover, and extraction of peat had resulted in differing outcomes from decomposition processes, and the properties of peats on the disturbed sites had changed.

Africa: Combating Desertification in Plans and Actions

The article raises the problem of desertification in Africa and the expansion of the largest African deserts. The essence of desertification is defined as the degradation of land areas suitable for agricultural activities, which is expressed in the deterioration of soil properties, salinization of ground water, reduction of biological productivity, loss of the ability of the ecosystem to recover. The author considers that the desertification is caused by the negative impact of anthropogenic activities, lack of water resources, deforestation, salinization of soils, degradation of pastures and land, and climate change. Examples of international contacts in combating desertification and of the activities of the local population in this direction are given. Among the harmful consequences of the expansion of the desert zone the author mentions negative changes in the way of life of the local population that has existed for centuries, the increase in the flow of forced migrants to regions with a milder climate, cities or outside their States. The problem of desertification came to the attention of the international community in the 1970s after the disastrous drought in the Sahel in the late 1960s and mid-1970s. The package of measures proposed to eliminate the consequences of droughts and fight the onset of sand primarily included humanitarian assistance. Measures to improve the local environmental management system, which required significant technical resources and material investments, were carried out partially. The results of numerous regional and international symposiums devoted to desertification issues are usually a statement of the existence of the problem itself and a resolution of a recommendatory nature. In addressing this issue, the governments of the African countries concerned rely on the assistance of the international community or individual states with highly qualified personnel and the necessary technical equipment. The main aspect of combating desertification is the development of international norms and rules that should reflect ways to restore soil fertility and contain scientific planning methods for the use of new agricultural land. Obstacles to the implementation of concrete measures to curb desertification include the economic weakness of the states concerned, the lack of clear environmental plans and reliance on national human resources.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on an urban river through a comprehensive analysis of water and sediments.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of urban and industrial areas on an urban river through a comprehensive analysis of water and sediments. Six different sites along the San Luis River, Argentina, were characterized by measuring 12 physical-chemical parameters and nine heavy metals according to standard protocols. Metal pollution in sediment samples was evaluated with several indices. Cluster analysis was applied to standardized experimental data in order to study spatial variability. As, Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Zn were the main contributors to sediment pollution, and the industrial zone studied showed moderate enrichment of Co, Cu, and Zn, probably due to anthropogenic activities. Cluster analysis allowed the grouping of the sites: sediment samples were classified into two clusters according to the metal content; water samples were arranged into three groups according to organic matter content. The results were compared with sediment and water quality guidelines. They indicated progressive deterioration of water and sediment quality compared with the background area, mainly in the sites following the industrial park and domestic discharge areas. Moreover, the results showed that the analysis of both water and sediment should be considered to achieve a watershed contamination profile.

Prehistoric Farming Impacts and Erosion Revealed Through a Palaeolimnological Investigation of Lough Inchiquin, Co. Clare, Western Ireland

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a multi-proxy, palaeolimnological investigation of Lough Inchiquin, a large lake located immediately south of the Burren, a distinctive karst landscape in Co Clare, western Ireland which has been exploited since the Neolithic period. Chironomid sub-fossil analysis and lake sediment geochemistry provides an opportunity to infer lake response to prehistoric farming activity. The results of these new analyses are contextualised by pollen and loss-on-ignition evidence from the same lake catchment. The combined data of chironomid, loss-on-ignition (LOI550, LOI950 and non-combustible fraction (NCF)), organic geochemistry (δ13Corg, δ15N, Corg:N ratio), inorganic geochemistry (Ti, Fe, Mn, S and δ18O) and fossil pollen has allowed for an in-depth understanding of the palaeolimnological and palaeoenvironmental changes from the Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age (c. 4590–660 BC) in the catchment of Lough Inchiquin. The data highlight the increasing ecological impact of anthropogenic activity through time and provide well-dated evidence for the initiation of Holocene soil erosion from the Burren.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on natural vegetation cover of Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Impact of anthropogenic activities on natural vegetation cover of Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Ground-Based MAX-DOAS Observations of Tropospheric NO2 and HCHO During COVID-19 Lockdown and Spring Festival Over Shanghai, China

Reduced mobility and less anthropogenic activity under special case circumstances over various parts of the world have pronounced effects on air quality. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of reduced anthropogenic activity on air quality in the mega city of Shanghai, China. Observations from the highly sophisticated multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscope (MAX-DOAS) instrument were used for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) column densities. In situ measurements for NO2, ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5) and the air quality index (AQI) were also used. The concentration of trace gases in the atmosphere reduces significantly during annual Spring Festival holidays, whereby mobility is reduced and anthropogenic activities come to a halt. The COVID-19 lockdown during 2020 resulted in a considerable drop in vertical column densities (VCDs) of HCHO and NO2 during lockdown Level-1, which refers to strict lockdown, i.e., strict measures taken to reduce mobility (43% for NO2; 24% for HCHO), and lockdown Level-2, which refers to relaxed lockdown, i.e., when the mobility restrictions were relaxed somehow (20% for NO2; 22% for HCHO), compared with pre-lockdown days, as measured by the MAX-DOAS instrument. However, for 2019, a reduction in VCDs was found only during Level-1 (24% for NO2; 6.62% for HCHO), when the Spring Festival happened. The weekly cycle for NO2 and HCHO depicts no significant effect of weekends on the lockdown. After the start of the Spring Festival, the VCDs of NO2 and HCHO showed a decline for 2019 as well as 2020. Backward trajectories calculated using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model indicated more air masses coming from the sea after the Spring Festival for 2019 and 2020, implying that a low pollutant load was carried by them. No impact of anthropogenic activity was found on O3 concentration. The results indicate that the ratio of HCHO to NO2 (RFN) fell in the volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited regime.

The response of microbial community structure and sediment properties to anthropogenic activities in Caohai wetland sediments

This study aimed to investigate the response of sediment microbial communities (including bacteria and archaeal groups) in Caohai Lake to anthropogenic activities. The sediment samples were collected from the regions with high anthropogenic interference and low anthropogenic interference. Their physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were analyzed, and the bacterial and archaeal communities were investigated using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the physicochemical characters changed by anthropogenic activities were the important factors that influenced enzyme activities, alpha diversity, key functional taxa, and community structure. And the impact of anthropogenic activities on microbial communities might follow a non-linear pattern. Furthermore, few significant differences of alpha indices between the high and low disturbed areas, but clear differences of microbial community composition analysis and beta-diversity analysis were observed. The hypothesis was proved that the intensity of anthropogenic impacts in Caohai had not reached the potential thresholds. The best distinguish biomarkers between the two areas and the most related key nodes among the network did not always have a high microbial abundance. The anthropogenic activities might influence the microbial community by affecting a small number of the key taxon in the ecological network. These findings provided a valuable understanding of how sediment microorganisms respond to anthropogenic activities in Caohai Lake.

Assessing human interactions and sustainability of Wetlands in Jammu, India using Geospatial technique

Worldwide it has been observed that wetlands are facing severe threats due to ever-increasing anthropogenic activities. Therefore, this study is aimed to examine the threat and criticalities faced by the wetlands in different physiographic regions of Jammu Division. The study encompassing all the selected wetlands ecosystem aspects including limnology, eutrophication, biodiversity, and land use/land cover (LU/LC), so as to frame an ecologically balanced conservation strategy for the aquatic ecosystem of the region. The Landsat data has been used for LU/LC classification of the selected wetlands and finally change detection technique was used to quantify the changes. Evaluation of LU/LC revealed that all the selected wetlands are under stress due to diverse anthropogenic pressure. Except for Sanasar the two other wetlands under study showed human encroachment. Maximum encroachment was noticed around Gharana wetland (about 5 hectares area) and water body decreased by 02 hectares during the period 2008–2018. For threat assessment of the wetlands parameters such as biodiversity, the area under water bodies, Eutrophication and water quality were taken into consideration. The result showed that water quality was badly affected in terms of nitrogen and dissolved oxygen which could a cause for the sustainability of aquatic flora and fauna. Gharana wetland was found most threatened whereas Mansar, moderately and Sanasar the least threatened wetland. Further, the analysis shows that the impact of anthropogenic activities on wetlands decreases with an increase in altitude. All possible factors causing threats to wetlands have been discussed to formulate proper management strategies to conserve the wetlands.

Hydrochemistry characters and hydrochemical processes under the impact of anthropogenic activity in the Yiyuan city, Northern China

Water resource is a valuable resource for human beings to survive and maintain social stability and development. However, in recent years, the process of urbanization has been accelerated, and many cities and towns have presented groundwater pollution. To investigate the spatial distribution of hydrochemical components in urban areas after groundwater pollution and the hydrogeochemical effects on surrounding areas, using multifarious methods such as classical statistics, geostatistics, saturation index, and stable isotopes, the hydrogeochemical effects along groundwater flow were analyzed and deduced. The results show that the main ions of the groundwater in the Yiyuan are Ca2+ and HCO3−, it is mainly low-salinity fresh water, and the hydrochemistry type is mainly HCO3–Ca·Mg type. Groundwater pollution in urban areas increases the content of inorganic and organic matter in groundwater, the main ions affected are NO3−, Cl−, Ca2+, and SO42−, and their concentrations increased by 12.3, 22.3, 7.6, and 12.3 mg/L, respectively. In the city, negative cation exchange occurs mainly, after leaving the city, cation exchange occurs mainly. The results of the saturation index calculation indicate that groundwater pollution has little effect on the dissolution and precipitation of minerals. After leaving the town, denitrification, desulphurization, and cation exchange occurs in the underground aquifer, which reduces the concentration of pollutants in the groundwater. The study suggests that a variety of hydrogeochemical processes play an important role in the spontaneous reduction of some pollutant concentrations in groundwater away from the pollution source, while the concentration of other substances may rise.

Sustainable urban development: the impact of an asphalt plant on the quality of atmospheric air

The development of industry, the use of various chemicals in technological processes, the large emissions of industrial enterprises, the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture have caused environmental pollution with harmful substances. Environmental protection is now becoming one of the economic problems and is an extremely urgent task of humanity. The purpose of this article is to present the main results of the study and analysis of atmospheric air pollution by the asphalt plant, which is located almost in the center of Yekaterinburg; to investigate the compliance of the existing hazard class of the enterprise, which increases its production volumes, to correct the size and location of the sanitary protection zone of the plant, taking into account the wind rose, and to try to propose a number of measures to reduce the negative impact of the plants in this industry. In considering the impact of anthropogenic activities on nature, attention should be paid to the concept of sustainable development, which carries principles based on the satisfaction of human needs, with a focus on caring for the well-being of future generations. If we consider the issue from the perspective of this concept, then the asphalt plant, in order to prevent possible environmental damage, should invest material and money to further minimize the amount of pollutants.

STRUCTURE OF THE VEGETATIVE COVER OF THE NORTH-EASTERN PART OF TUVA

The article presents the study of vegetation cover in the Northeast of Tuva. The surveillance research was conducted in summer season from 2009 to 2017. It was revealed that nearly all altitudinal vegetation belts common to the Mountains of Southern Siberia are widespread in the studied area. The vegetation cover that creates biological diversity and conditions for its preservation, is peculiar for its geological history (relatively young site), specific landscape (combination of highlands and lowlands), climatic and landscape mosaic, low impact of anthropogenic activities. The vegetation cover conforms with the laws of altitudinal zonation, highland belts and mountain taiga belts. The prevailing type of vegetation is mountain taiga. In the result of conducted research, a series of electronic large-scale maps were created (universal map and evaluation map) with the help of ArcView GIS software. Both traditional methods and modern mapping techniques were used for vegetation communities, based on forest surveying data as well as on author’s filed research records. The vegetation map fragment is provided and the area’s landscape structure is described. Vegetation cover in the area under research is characterized by originality due to historical and environmental conditions, as well as proximity of the mountains. Currently, this is one of the few Siberian areas where anthropogenic activity is very limited. As of landscape peculiarities, the territory is remarkable for inhomogenuity of its landscape and environment which in its turn results in a wide typological variety of vegetation and considerable contrast of vegetation cover. In this regard, the territory of these mountain ridges is a model region to study historical development of vegetation cover in the mountains of the Southern Siberia.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality and quantity in Raipur City, Chhattisgarh, India

In the present study area, anthropogenic activities such as overexploitation of groundwater, improper disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), rapid industrialization, urbanization, and chemical fertilizer use are led to groundwater resource to depletion and quality degradation. Due to the imbalance between demand and availability, management approaches groundwater quality and quantity adversely affected. To assess the effects of LULC change in groundwater quality, Nitrate was considered. Land use Land cover (LULC) map of 1999 and 2016 and groundwater quality data of 1999 and 2016 revealed that groundwater quality is highly affected in the settlement area due to anthropogenic activities. There is no earmarked site in the Raipur city for the dumping of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Hence, to minimize the existing groundwater problem, there is a need to adopt proper remedial measures to improve groundwater quality and quantity.

How Do Energy Use and Climate Change Affect Fast-Start Finance? A Cross-Country Empirical Investigation

To promote the sustainable development of developing countries through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of anthropogenic activity on the atmosphere, for some decades, developed countries and international institutions provided an increasing amount of climate financing tools, allocated through multiple channels. After the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties (COP15) held in 2009, developed country parties pledged to provide new and additional resources, including forestry and investments, approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010–2012 and with balanced allocation between mitigation and adaptation. This collective commitment has come to be known as “Fast-start Finance” (FSF). To assess the key factors contributing to the amount and distribution of funding supporting projects using FSF, in this paper, we investigate the relationship between FSF, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. To this aim, two main analyses were carried out: (i) a qualitative examination of donor’s funding strategies and (ii) a quantitative analysis deepening the relationship between climate finance and greenhouse gas emissions by beneficiaries through a quantile regression model. Findings indicate a need to redesign the current aid scheme, and suggest an increasing need for financed projects to support sustainable economic innovation patterns of developing countries while paying close attention to the environmental policy context. The purpose was to provide useful feedback to policymakers to assess the effectiveness of the flow of funding for environmental plans and to avoid excessive aid dispersal and consequently a reduction of the FSF benefits.

Bacterial Operational Taxonomic Units Replace the Interactive Roles of Other Operational Taxonomic Units Under Strong Environmental Changes.

Background Microorganisms are an important component of an aquatic ecosystem and play a critical role in the biogeochemical cycle which influences the circulation of the materials and maintains the balance in aquatic ecosystems.Objective The seasonal variation along with the impact of anthropogenic activities, water quality, bacterial community composition and dynamics in the Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake of North East India, located in the Indo-Burma hotspot region was assessed during post-monsoon and winter season through metagenome analysis.Methods Five soil samples were collected during Post-monsoon and winter season from the Loktak Lake that had undergone different anthropogenic impacts. The metagenomic DNA of the soil samples was extracted using commercial metagenomic DNA extraction kits following the manufacturer’s instruction. The extracted DNA was used to prepare the NGS library and sequenced in the Illumina MiSeq platform.Results Metagenomics analysis reveals Proteobacteria as the predominant community followed by Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria. The presence of these groups of bacteria indicates nitrogen fixation, oxidation of iron, sulfur, methane, and source of novel antibiotic candidates. The bacterial members belonging to different groups were involved in various biogeochemical processes, including fixation of carbon and nitrogen, producing streptomycin, gramicidin and perform oxidation of sulfur, sulfide, ammonia, and methane.Conclusion The outcome of this study provides a valuable dataset representing a seasonal profile across various land use and analysis, targeting at establishing an understanding of how the microbial communities vary across the land use and the role of keystone taxa. The findings may contribute to searches for microbial bio-indicators as biodiversity markers for improving the aquatic ecosystem of the Loktak Lake.

Background concentrations and quality reference values for potentially toxic elements in soils of Piauí state, Brazil.

The background concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in soils is influenced by the parent material composition and soil forming processes. The soil natural concentration of PTE is a first step to establish regulatory levels for the monitoring of these elements in soils suspected of contamination. In the present study, we performed a natural background concentration survey of PTE in soils of the Piauí state, Brazil. The study provides the basis for establishing soil quality reference values (QRVs) for a large area (over 251,000km2) with different pedological features. A total of 262 geo-referenced soil samples (0.0-0.2m) were collected in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity. The concentrations of Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn were determined by ICP-OES. Univariate statistical methods and multivariate exploratory techniques were used to understand the relationship between soil characteristics, geological features, and PTE concentrations in soils. The mean background concentrations of PTE in the soils were generally lower than those reported in other countries and/or other Brazilian states, and followed the order: Fe > Ba > V > Cr > Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni > Pb > Co > Mo > Sb > Cd. The main factors governing the concentrations of PTE in soils were the parent material and the soil texture. The different geological features in the study area influenced the spatial distribution of PTE and divided the state into three regions presenting low, high, and intermediate values. Given this geological and pedological complexity, we proposed establishing three sets of QRV rather than a single QRV for the whole state to avoid misinterpretation regarding the investigation of areas suspected of contamination. This background concentration survey contains a wealth of information that provides the basis for the soil guideline values in the state and supports future research on the impact of anthropogenic activities in soil contamination.

Assessment of the Impacts of Anthropogenic Activities on a Large River Using Longfin Eel as a Bioindicator

The Matāura River is the sixth largest river system in New Zealand and has long been subject to agricultural, industrial, and residential land use activities. The catchment has economic value and is of great cultural importance for local Māori, who have concerns over potential adverse impacts that anthropogenic stressors exert on the health of the river. There is a dearth of information on the impacts of these stressors towards the health of native species such as the longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii. This study assessed the environmental status of the Matāura River using biological and chemical methodologies incorporating A. dieffenbachii as a bioindicator species for exposure to multiple anthropogenic stressors. A range of biomarkers were measured in caged and wild-caught eels (when available) to characterize site-specific responses to anthropogenic stressors. While there was no clear indication of cumulative impacts moving from pristine headwaters to the lower reaches of the Matāura River, biomarkers of xenobiotic metabolization were induced in A. dieffenbachia and there was evidence of chemical contamination in sediment and tissue samples.

Impact of anthropogenic activities on airflow field variation over a star dune

Star dune, the most complex type of single dune ever found, is known to be controlled by several natural factors including wind, topography, and sediment source. Anthropogenic impact of direct disturbance or modification on nearby land surface can also alter its shape and pattern over a longer timescale, but this factor is generally overlooked. Here, we present an integrated study of anthropogenic impact on a well-known star dune in the Mingsha Megadune of Dunhuang, China, by using 3D full-scale numerical simulations and wind tunnel experiments with printed 3D solid models. The removal of the tail of one dune arm affects both the leeward recirculation zone and the budge of dune surface; and an enlarged peripheral green land affects wind speed re-distribution and dune body displacement. The wind speed and direction variations were confirmed by field observations. We suggest that anthropogenic impact should be reduced to minimum or used to restore the setting to its previous state, for example, by removing the newly planted trees and rebuilding the dune arm tail, to maintain the natural balance between wind regime and aeolian landform, in order to protect this precious nature heritage from further deformation and degradation.

Sensitivity of vegetation dynamics to climate variability in a forest-steppe transition ecozone, north-eastern Inner Mongolia, China

Climate change and land use management were competing explanations for vegetation dynamics in cold and semi-arid region of north-eastern Inner Mongolia, China. In order to reveal the role of human disturbance and clarify the regional climate-vegetation relationship, long-term (1982–2013) datasets of climate variables and vegetation dynamics in a forest-steppe transition zone of north-eastern Inner Mongolia, China were collected. Partial correlation analyses, principal components regression (PCR), and residual analyses were conducted to reveal the vegetation sensitivities to different climate variables and the impact of anthropogenic activities on climate-vegetation relationship. The results showed that.(1) Annual mean air temperature (TMP) significantly increased at a linear slope of 0.08 °C per decade, annual precipitation (PRE) had an insignificantly linear slope of −16.42 mm per decade (p = 0.15). The average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) had a significantly negative trend over the past decades. A change point around the year 1998, coincided with the occurrence of an intense global El Niño event was also identified.(2) Regional climate change can be represented by changes in temperature, humidity and radiation. NDVI in the steppes display high sensitivity to moisture availability. Whereas, forests was influenced by the warmth index (WMI), accumulation of monthly temperature above a threshold of 5 °C. Partial correlation analyses showed that pixels of positive correlation with PRE (controlling TMP) overlap with the pixels of high partial correlation with minimum temperature (controlling maximum temperature), which suggests a hidden link between minimum temperature and PRE in this region.(3) The spatial distribution of significantly decreased NDVI overlap with cropland expansion, as well as the low residual square (R2) from PCR analysis. The NDVI decline in these expanded croplands suggests human disturbance on vegetation dynamics. Following climate warming, NDVI of forested land displayed positive trend. Whereas, most of steppe displayed negative trend, possibly resulting from combined effects of climate drying and human disturbance.We conclude that the regional climate change can be characterized as warming and drying. Steppe areas were sensitive to humidity changes while forested land was mostly influenced by growing season warmth. Overall, the regional NDVI displayed significantly negative trend over the past decades. Beyond climate drying, cropland expansion in the transition area between grassland and forested land is also an important driver for decreased NDVI. Further studies on the ecological and hydrological consequences of crop land expansion is necessary.