Spatiotemporal changes of gross primary productivity and its response to drought in the Mongolian Plateau under climate change

Gross primary productivity(GPP)of vegetation is an important constituent of the terrestrial carbon sinks and is significantly influenced by drought.Understanding the impact of droughts on different types of vegetation GPP provides insight into the spatiotemporal variation of terrestrial carbon sinks,aiding efforts to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change.In this study,we utilized the precipitation and temperature data from the Climatic Research Unit,the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI),the standardized precipitation index(SPI),and the simulated vegetation GPP using the eddy covariance-light use efficiency(EC-LUE)model to analyze the spatiotemporal change of GPP and its response to different drought indices in the Mongolian Plateau during 1982-2018.The main findings indicated that vegetation GPP decreased in 50.53% of the plateau,mainly in its northern and northeastern parts,while it increased in the remaining 49.47%area.Specifically,meadow steppe(78.92%)and deciduous forest(79.46%)witnessed a significant decrease in vegetation GPP,while alpine steppe(75.08%),cropland(76.27%),and sandy vegetation(87.88%)recovered well.Warming aridification areas accounted for 71.39% of the affected areas,while 28.53% of the areas underwent severe aridification,mainly located in the south and central regions.Notably,the warming aridification areas of desert steppe(92.68%)and sandy vegetation(90.24%)were significant.Climate warming was found to amplify the sensitivity of coniferous forest,deciduous forest,meadow steppe,and alpine steppe GPP to drought.Additionally,the drought sensitivity of vegetation GPP in the Mongolian Plateau gradually decreased as altitude increased.The cumulative effect of drought on vegetation GPP persisted for 3.00-8.00 months.The findings of this study will improve the understanding of how drought influences vegetation in arid and semi-arid areas.

A process model for simulating net primary productivity (NPP) based on the interaction of water-heat process and nitrogen: a case study in Lantsang valley

Terrestrial carbon cycle and the global atmospheric CO2 budget are important foci in global climate change research. Simulating net primary productivity (NPP) of terrestrial ecosystems is important for carbon cycle research. In this study, a plant-atmosphere-soil continuum nitrogen (N) cycling model was developed and incorporated into the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) model. With the established database (leaf area index, land cover, daily meteorology data, vegetation and soil) at a 1 km resolution, daily maps of NPP for Lantsang valley in 2007 were produced, and the spatial-temporal patterns of NPP and mechanisms of its responses to soil N level were further explored. The total NPP and mean NPP of Lantsang valley in 2007 were 66.5 Tg C and 416 g?m-2?a-1 C, respectively. In addition, statistical analysis of NPP of different land cover types was conducted and investigated. Compared with BEPS model (without considering nitrogen effect), it was inferred that the plant carbon fixing for the upstream of Lantsang valley was also limited by soil available nitrogen besides temperature and precipitation. However, nitrogen has no evident limitation to NPP accumulation of broadleaf forest, which mainly distributed in the downstream of Lantsang valley.

Variation of net primary productivity and its drivers in China’s forests during 2000-2018

Background:Net primary productivity(NPP)in forests plays an important role in the global carbon cycle.However,it is not well known about the increase rate of China’s forest NPP,and there are different opinions about the key factors controlling the variability of forest NPP.Methods:This paper established a statistics-based multiple regression model to estimate forest NPP,using the observed NPP,meteorological and remote sensing data in five major forest ecosystems.The fluctuation values of NPP and environment variables were extracted to identify the key variables influencing the variation of forest NPP by correlation analysis.Results:The long-term trends and annual fluctuations of forest NPP between 2000 and 2018 were examined.The results showed a significant increase in forest NPP for all five forest ecosystems,with an average rise of 5.2 gC·m-2·year-1 over China.Over 90%of the forest area had an increasing NPP range of 0-161 gC·m-2·year-1.Forest NPP had an interannual fluctuation of 50-269 gC.m-2·year-1 for the five major forest ecosystems.The evergreen broadleaf forest had the largest fluctuation.The variability in forest NPP was caused mainly by variations in precipitation,then by temperature fluctuations.Conclusions:All five forest ecosystems in China exhibited a significant increasing NPP along with annual fluctuations evidently during 2000-2018.The variations in China’s forest NPP were controlled mainly by changes in precipitation.

Assessing the Dynamics of Grassland Net Primary Productivity in Response to Climate Change at the Global Scale

Understanding the net primary productivity(NPP) of grassland is crucial to evaluate the terrestrial carbon cycle. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution and the area of global grassland across the globe. Then, we used the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach(CASA) model to estimate global grassland NPP and explore the spatio-temporal variations of grassland NPP in response to climate change from 1982 to 2008. Results showed that the largest area of grassland distribution during the study period was in Asia(1737.23 × 104 km^2), while the grassland area in Europe was relatively small(202.83 × 10~4 km^2). Temporally, the total NPP increased with fluctuations from 1982 to 2008, with an annual increase rate of 0.03 Pg C/yr. The total NPP experienced a significant increasing trend from 1982 to 1995, while a decreasing trend was observed from 1996 to 2008. Spatially, the grassland NPP in South America and Africa were higher than the other regions, largely as a result of these regions are under warm and wet climatic conditions. The highest mean NPP was recorded for savannas(560.10 g C/(m^2·yr)), whereas the lowest was observed in open shrublands with an average NPP of 162.53 g C/(m^2·yr). The relationship between grassland NPP and annual mean temperature and annual precipitation(AMT, AP, respectively) varies with changes in AP, which indicates that, grassland NPP is more sensitive to precipitation than temperature.

The net primary productivity of Mid-Jurassic peatland and its control factors: Evidenced by the Ordos Basin

Using the large-scale thick 4# coal seam from the Mid-Jurassic in the southern Ordos Basin as an example, this paper studied the net primary productivity(NPP) level of the Mid-Jurassic peatland, and discussed its control factors. Geophysical logging signals were used for a spectrum analysis to obtain the Milankovitch cycle parameters in coal seam. These were then used to calculate the accumulation rate of the residual carbon in 4# coal seam. The carbon loss can be calculated according to the density and residual carbon content of 4# coal seam. Then, the total carbon accumulation rate of the peatland was further derived, and the NPP of peatland was determined. The results show that the NPP of MidJurassic peatland is higher than that of Holocene at the same latitude. Comprehensive analysis indicates that the temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in atmosphere are the main control factors of the NPP of Mid-Jurassic peatland.

Spatial-temporal variations in net primary productivity in the Arctic from 2003 to 2016

The area of Arctic sea ice has dramatically decreased, and the length of the open water season has increased;these patterns have been observed by satellite remote sensing since the 1970 s. In this paper, we calculate the net primary productivity(NPP, calculated by carbon) from 2003 to 2016 based on sea ice concentration products,chlorophyll a(Chl a) concentration, photosynthetically active radiation(PAR), sea surface temperature(SST), and sunshine duration data. We then analyse the spatiotemporal changes in the Chl a concentration and NPP and further investigate the relations among NPP, the open water area, and the length of the open water season. The results indicate that(1) the Chl a concentration increased by 0.025 mg/m^3 per year;(2) the NPP increased by 4.29 mg/(m^2·d) per year, reaching a maximum of 525.74 mg/(m^2·d) in 2016;and(3) the Arctic open water area increased by 57.23×10^3 km^2/a, with a growth rate of 1.53 d/a for the length of the open water season. The annual NPP was significantly positively related to the open water area, the length of the open water season and the SST.The daily NPP was also found to have a lag correlation with the open water area, with a lag time of two months.With global warming, NPP has maintained an increasing trend, with the most significant increase occurring in the Kara Sea. In summary, this study provides a macroscopic understanding of the distribution of phytoplankton in the Arctic, which is valuable information for the evaluation and management of marine ecological environments.

Spatiotemporal variation in vegetation net primary productivity and its relationship with meteorological factors in the Tarim River Basin of China from 2001 to 2020 based on the Google Earth Engine

Vegetation growth status is an important indicator of ecological security.The Tarim River Basin is located in the inland arid region of Northwest China and has a highly fragile ecological environment.Assessing the vegetation net primary productivity(NPP)of the Tarim River Basin can provide insights into the vegetation growth variations in the region.Therefore,based on the Google Earth Engine(GEE)cloud platform,we studied the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin(except for the eastern Gobi and Kumutag deserts)from 2001 to 2020 and analyzed the correlations between vegetation NPP and meteorological factors(air temperature and precipitation)using the Sen slope estimation method,coefficient of variation,and rescaled range analysis method.In terms of temporal characteristics,vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin showed an overall fluctuating upward trend from 2001 to 2020,with the smallest value of 118.99 g C/(m2•a)in 2001 and the largest value of 155.07 g C/(m2•a)in 2017.Regarding the spatial characteristics,vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin showed a downward trend from northwest to southeast along the outer edge of the study area.The annual average value of vegetation NPP was 133.35 g C/(m2•a),and the area with annual average vegetation NPP values greater than 100.00 g C/(m2•a)was 82,638.75 km2,accounting for 57.76%of the basin.The future trend of vegetation NPP was dominated by anti-continuity characteristic;the percentage of the area with anti-continuity characteristic was 63.57%.The area with a significant positive correlation between vegetation NPP and air temperature accounted for 53.74%of the regions that passed the significance test,while the area with a significant positive correlation between vegetation NPP and precipitation occupied 98.68%of the regions that passed the significance test.Hence,the effect of precipitation on vegetation NPP was greater than that of air temperature.The results of this study improve the understanding on the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin and the impact of meteorological factors on vegetation NPP.

Identification of Milankovitch Cycles and Calculation of Net Primary Productivity of Paleo-peatlands using Geophysical Logs of Coal Seams

Individual coal seams formed in paleo-peatlands represent sustained periods of terrestrial carbon accumulation and a key environmental indicator attributed to this record is the rate of carbon accumulation.Determining the rate of carbon accumulation requires a measure of time contained within the coal.This study aimed to determine this rate via the identification of Milankovitch orbital cycles in the coals.The geophysical log is an ideal paleoclimate proxy and has been widely used in the study of sedimentary records using spectral analysis.Spectral analyses of geophysical log from thick coal seams can be used to identify the Milankovitch cycles and to calculate the period of the coal deposition.By considering the carbon loss during coalification,the long-term average carbon accumulation rate and net primary productivity(NPP)of paleo-peatlands in coal seams can be obtained.This review paper presents the procedures of analysis,assessment of results and interpretation of geophysical logs in determining the NPP of paleo-peatlands.

Carbon storage and net primary productivity in Canadian boreal mixedwood stands

Canadian boreal mixedwood forests are extensive,with large potential for carbon sequestration and storage;thus,knowledge of their carbon stocks at different stand ages is needed to adapt forest management practices to help meet climate-change mitigation goals.Carbon stocks were quantified at three Ontario boreal mixedwood sites.A harvested stand,a juvenile stand replanted with spruce seedlings and a mature stand had total carbon stocks(±SE)of 133±13 at age 2,130±13 at age 25,and 207±15 Mg C ha^-1 at age 81 years.At the clear-cut site,stocks were reduced by about 40%or 90 Mg C ha^-1 at harvest.Vegetation held 27,34 and 62%of stocks,while detritus held 34,29 and 13%of stocks at age 2,25 and 81,respectively.Mineral soil carbon stocks averaged 51 Mg C ha^-1,and held 38,37 and 25%of stocks.Aboveground net primary productivity(±SE)in the harvested and juvenile stand was 2.1±0.2 and 3.7±0.3 Mg C ha^-1 per annum(p.a.),compared to 2.6±2.5 Mg C ha^-1 p.a.in the mature stand.The mature canopies studied had typical boreal mixedwood composition and mean carbon densities of 208 Mg C ha^-1,which is above average for managed Canadian boreal forest ecosystems.A comparison of published results from Canadian boreal forest ecosystems showed that carbon stocks in mixedwood stands are typically higher than coniferous stands at all ages,which was also true for stocks in vegetation and detritus.Also,aboveground net primary productivity was typically found to be higher in mixedwood than in coniferous boreal forest stands over a range of ages.Measurements from this study,together with those published from the other boreal forest stands demonstrate the potential for enhanced carbon sequestration through modified forest management practices to take advantage of Canadian boreal mixedwood stand characteristics.

Quantitative Assessment of the Relative Contributions of Climate and Human Factors to Net Primary Productivity in the Ili River Basin of China and Kazakhstan

It is necessary to quantitatively study the relationship between climate and human factors on net primary productivity(NPP)inorder to understand the driving mechanism of NPP and prevent desertification.This study investigated the spatial and temporal differentiation features of actual net primary productivity(ANPP)in the Ili River Basin,a transboundary river between China and Kazakhstan,as well as the proportional contributions of climate and human causes to ANPP variation.Additionally,we analyzed the pixel-scale relationship between ANPP and significant climatic parameters.ANPP in the Ili River Basin increased from 2001 to 2020 and was lower in the northeast and higher in the southwest;furthermore,it was distributed in a ring around the Tianshan Mountains.In the vegetation improvement zone,human activities were the dominant driving force,whereas in the degraded zone,climate change was the primary major driving force.The correlation coefficients of ANPP with precipitation and temperature were 0.322 and 0.098,respectively.In most areas,there was a positive relationship between vegetation change,temperature and precipitation.During 2001 to 2020,the basin’s climatic change trend was warm and humid,which promoted vegetation growth.One of the driving factors in the vegetation improvement area was moderate grazing by livestock.

松花江流域NPP时空演变及其对极端气候的响应机制

为探究全球气候变化条件下松花江流域陆地生态系统健康程度的变化特征,基于2000—2020年MODIS MOD17A3HGF数据集,采用趋势分析、相关性分析、M-K检验、地理探测器和相对重要性分析等方法,结合气象站点数据和土地利用数据,分析植被净初级生产力(net primary productivity,NPP)时空演变特征及其对极端气候事件的响应机制。结果表明:松花江流域年均NPP值为407.45 g/m^(2)(以C计,下同),以年均4.82 g/m的速率显著上升(p<0.01);极端降水事件对植被NPP空间分异性的影响强于极端气温事件,极端气候指数间交互作用的影响大于单一极端气候指数的影响,流域及农田和草地生态系统NPP主要受总降水量(PRCPTOT)与年平均最低气温(TMIN)交互作用的影响,森林、湿地和聚落生态系统NPP分别受中雨日数(R10 mm)与年平均最高气温(TMAX)交互作用、强降水量(R95P)与TMIN交互作用和R10 mm与暖夜日数(TN90P)交互作用的影响;时间尺度上PRCPTOT、TMAX和TMIN是植被NPP的主要影响因素,空间尺度上PRCPTOT和TMIN是多年平均NPP的主要影响因素。研究结果可为量化气候变化背景下区域生态系统健康程度和应对极端气候事件措施的制定提供科学依据。

Biomass and net primary productivity of mangrove communities along the Oligohaline zone of Sundarbans, Bangladesh

Background:The article presents the first estimates of biomass and productivity for mangrove forests along the Oligohaline zone of the Sundarbans Reserve Forest(SRF),Bangladesh.This study was conducted overone year from March 2016 to April 2017.Stand structure,above and below-ground biomass changes,and litterfall production were measured within a 2100 m^2 sample plot.Methods:All trees in the study plots were numbered and height(H) and diameter at breast height(DBH) were measured.Tree height(H) and DBH for each tree were measured in March 2016 and 2017.We apply the above and belowground biomass equation for estimating the biomass of the mangrove tree species(Chave et al.Oecologia145:87-99,2005; Komiyama et al.J Trop Ecol 21:471-477,2005).Litterfall was collected using 1-mm mesh litter traps with collection area of 0.42 m^2.Net Primary Production(NPP) was estimated by the summation method of Ogawa Primary productivity of Japanese forests:productivity of terrestrial communities,JIBP synthesis(1977) and Matsuura and Kajimoto Carbon dynamics of terrestrial ecosystem:Systems approach to global environment(2013).Results:Heritiera fomes has maintained its dominance of the stand and also suffered the highest tree mortality(2.4%) in the suppressed crown class.The total above-ground biomass(AGB) and below-ground biomass(BGB) of the studied stand was 154.8 and 84.2 Mg ha^(-1),respectively.Among the total biomass of the trees,64.8% was allocated to AGB and 35.2% to BGB.In case of species-wise contribution of biomass allocation,Avicennia officinalis showed the highest score and Aglaia cucullata the lowest.Mean annual total litterfall was 10.1 Mg ha^(-1)·yr^(-1),with the maximum litterfall in winter or dry season and late summer or rainy season.The mean AGB increment and above-ground net primary productivity(AGNPP) were 7.1 and 172 Mg·ha^(-1)·yr^(-1),respectively.Total net primary productivity(NPP) was estimated to be 21.0 Mg·ha^(-1)·yr^(-1) over the observed period.The results in the Sundarbans mangrove forests exhibited that mangrove communities with similar height and diameter produced different biomass production with the different basal area.The present analysis revealed that the root biomass was large enough and the mean ratio of above-/below-ground biomass was estimated to be 1.84.Conclusions:Mangrove communities growing at the oligohaline zone of the Sundarbans,Bangladesh showed high biomass and net primary production indicating their ecological and conservation significance that may be considered in future decision making process for the area as well as in understanding the role of Sundarbans mangrove forest on mitigating the effect of global warming.

Impacts of Climate Change on Net Primary Productivity in Arid and Semiarid Regions of China

In recent years, with the constant change in the global climate, the effect of climate factors on net primary productivity(NPP) has become a hot research topic. However, two opposing views have been presented in this research area: global NPP increases with global warming, and global NPP decreases with global warming. The main reasons for these two opposite results are the tremendous differences among seasonal and annual climate variables, and the growth of plants in accordance with these climate variables. Therefore, it will fail to fully clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes by research that relies solely on annual data. With seasonal climate variables, we may clarify the relation between vegetation growth and climate changes more accurately. Our research examined the arid and semiarid areas in China(ASAC), which account for one quarter of the total area of China. The ecological environment of these areas is fragile and easily affected by human activities. We analyzed the influence of climate changes, especially the changes in seasonal climate variables, on NPP, with Climatic Research Unit(CRU) climatic data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) satellite remote data, for the years 2000–2010. The results indicate that: for annual climatic data, the percentage of the ASAC in which NPP is positively correlated with temperature is 66.11%, and 91.47% of the ASAC demonstrates a positive correlation between NPP and precipitation. Precipitation is more positively correlated with NPP than temperature in the ASAC. For seasonal climatic data, the correlation between NPP and spring temperature shows significant regional differences. Positive correlation areas are concentrated in the eastern portion of the ASAC, while the western section of the ASAC generally shows a negative correlation. However, in summer, most areas in the ASAC show a negative correlation between NPP and temperature. In autumn, precipitation is less important in the west, as opposed to the east, in which it is critically important. Temperatures in winter are a limiting factor for NPP throughout the region. The findings of this research not only underline the importance of seasonal climate variables for vegetation growth, but also suggest that the effects of seasonal climate variables on NPP should be explored further in related research in the future.

Examining Forest Net Primary Productivity Dynamics and Driving Forces in Northeastern China During 1982–2010

Forest net primary productivity(NPP) is a key parameter for forest monitoring and management. In this study, monthly and annual forest NPP in the northeastern China from 1982 to 2010 were simulated by using Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach(CASA) model with normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) sequences derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR) Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies(GIMMS) and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) products. To address the problem of data inconsistency between AVHRR and MODIS data, a per-pixel unary linear regression model based on least squares method was developed to derive the monthly NDVI sequences. Results suggest that estimated forest NPP has mean relative error of 18.97% compared to observed NPP from forest inventory. Forest NPP in the northeastern China increased significantly during the twenty-nine years. The results of seasonal dynamic show that more clear increasing trend of forest NPP occurred in spring and autumn. This study also examined the relationship between forest NPP and its driving forces including the climatic and anthropogenic factors. In spring and winter, temperature played the most pivotal role in forest NPP. In autumn, precipitation acted as the most important factor affecting forest NPP, while solar radiation played the most important role in the summer. Evaportranspiration had a close correlation with NPP for coniferous forest, mixed coniferous broadleaved forest, and broadleaved deciduous forest. Spatially, forest NPP in the Da Hinggan Mountains was more sensitive to climatic changes than in the other ecological functional regions. In addition to climatic change, the degradation and improvement of forests had important effects on forest NPP. Results in this study are helpful for understanding the regional carbon sequestration and can enrich the cases for the monitoring of vegetation during long time series.

Classification and Net Primary Productivity of the Southern China's Grasslands Ecosystem Based on Improved Comprehensive and Sequential Classification System(CSCS) Approach

This research classified vegetation types and evaluated net primary productivity(NPP) of southern China's grasslands based on the improved comprehensive and sequential classification system(CSCS), and proposed 5 thermal grades and 6 humidity grades. Four classes of grasslands vegetation were recognized by improved CSCS, namely, tundra grassland class, typical grassland class, mixed grassland class and alpine grassland class. At the type level, 14 types of vegetations(9 grasslands and 5 forests) were classified. The NPP had a trend to decrease from east to west and south to north, and the annual mean NPP was estimated to be 656.3 g C m-2 yr-1. The NPP value of alpine grassland class was relatively high, generally more than 1 200 g C m-2 yr-1. The NPP value of mixed grassland class was in a range from 1 000 to 1 200 g C m-2 yr-1. Tundra grassland class was located in southeastern Tibet with high elevation, and its NPP value was the lowest(<600 g C m-2 yr-1). The typical grassland class distributed in most of the area, and its NPP value was generally from 600 to 1 000 g C m-2 yr-1. The total NPP value in the study area was 68.46 Tg C. The NPP value of typical grassland class was the highest(48.44 Tg C), and mixed grassland class was the second(16.54 Tg C), followed by alpine grassland class(3.22 Tg C), with tundra grassland class being the lowest(0.25 Tg C). For all the grasslands types, the total NPP of forest meadow was the highest(34.81 Tg C), followed by sparse forest brush(16.54 Tg C), and montane meadow was the lowest(0.01 Tg C).

Spatio-temporal Pattern of Net Primary Productivity in Hengduan Mountains area, China： Impacts of Climate Change and Human Activities

Net primary productivity(NPP), a metric used to define and identify changes in plant communities, is greatly affected by climate change, human activities and other factors. Here, we used the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach(CASA) model to estimate the NPP of plant communities in Hengduan Mountains area of China, and to explore the relationship between NPP and altitude in this region. We examined the mechanisms underlying vegetation growth responses to climate change and quantitatively assessed the effects of ecological protection measures by partitioning the contributions of climate change and human activities to NPP changes. The results demonstrated that: 1) the average total and annual NPP values over the years were 209.15 Tg C and 468.06 g C/(m2·yr), respectively. Their trend increasingly fluctuated, with spatial distribution strongly linked to altitude(i.e., lower and higher NPP in high altitude and low altitude areas, respectively) and 2400 m represented the marginal altitude for vegetation differentiation; 2) areas where climate was the main factor affecting NPP accounted for 18.2% of the total research area, whereas human activities were the primary factor influencing NPP in 81.8% of the total research area, which indicated that human activity was the main force driving changes in NPP. Areas where climatic factors(i.e., temperature and precipitation) were the main driving factors occupied 13.6%(temperature) and 6.0%(precipitation) of the total research area, respectively. Therefore, the effect of temperature on NPP changes was stronger than that of precipitation; and 3) the majority of NPP residuals from 2001 to 2014 were positive, with human activities playing an active role in determining regional vegetation growth, possibly due to the return of farmland back to forest and natural forest protection. However, this positive trend is decreasing. This clearly shows the periodical nature of ecological projects and a lack of long-term effectiveness.

Effects of Drought on Net Primary Productivity:Roles of Temperature,Drought Intensity,and Duration

Northeast China has experienced frequent droughts over the past fifteen years. However, the effects of droughts on net primary productivity(NPP) in Northeast China remain unclear. In this paper, the droughts that occurred in Northeast China between 1999 and 2013 were identified using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI). The NPP standardized anomaly index(NPP-SAI) was used to evaluate NPP anomalies. The years of 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2007 were further investigated in order to explore the influence of droughts on NPP at different time scales(3, 6, and 12 months). Based on the NPP-SAI of normal areas, we found droughts overall decreased NPP by 112.06 Tg C between 1999 and 2013. Lower temperatures at the beginning of the growing season could cause declines in NPP by shortening the length of the growing season. Mild drought or short-term drought with higher temperatures might increase NPP, and weak intensity droughts intensified the lag effects of droughts on NPP.

Temporal and spatial variations of net primary productivity and its response to groundwater of a typical oasis in the Tarim Basin, China

Net primary productivity (NPP) of the vegetation in an oasis can reflect the productivity capacity of a plant community under natural environmental conditions. Owing to the extreme arid climate conditions and scarce precipitation in the arid oasis regions, groundwater plays a key role in restricting the development of the vegetation. The Qira Oasis is located on the southern margin of the Taklimakan Desert (Tarim Basin, China) that is one of the most vulnerable regions regarding vegetation growth and water scarcity in the world. Based on remote sensing images of the Qira Oasis and daily meteorological data measured by the ground stations during the period 2006-2019, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial patterns of NPP in the oasis as well as its relation with the variation of groundwater depth using a modified Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model. At the spatial scale, NPP of the vegetation decreased from the interior of the Qira Oasis to the margin;at the temporal scale, NPP of the vegetation in the oasis fluctuated significantly (ranging from 29.80 to 50.07 g C/(m2•month)) but generally showed an increasing trend, with the average increase rate of 0.07 g C/(m2•month). The regions with decreasing NPP occupied 64% of the total area of the oasis. During the study period, NPP of both farmland and grassland showed an increasing trend, while that of forest showed a decreasing trend. The depth of groundwater was deep in the south of the oasis and shallow in the north, showing a gradual increasing trend from south to north. Groundwater, as one of the key factors in the surface change and evolution of the arid oasis, determines the succession direction of the vegetation in the Qira Oasis. With the increase of groundwater depth, grassland coverage and vegetation NPP decreased. During the period 2008-2015, with the recovery of groundwater level, NPP values of all types of vegetation with different coverages increased. This study will provide a scientific basis for the rational utilization and sustainable management of groundwater resources in the oasis.

Seasonal Responses of Net Primary Productivity of Vegetation to Phenological Dynamics in the Loess Plateau, China

With global warming, the great changes in the patterns of plant growth have occurred. The conditions in early spring and late autumn have changed the process of vegetation photosynthesis, which are expected to have a significant impact on net primary productivity(NPP) and affect the global carbon cycle. Currently, the seasonal response characteristics of NPP to phenological changes in dryland ecosystems are still not well defined. This article calibrated and analyzed the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)time series of Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR) data from 1982 to 2015 in the Loess Plateau, China. The spatial and temporal distributions of vegetation phenology and NPP in the Loess Plateau under semihumid and semiarid conditions were investigated. The seasonal variation in the NPP response to vegetation phenology under the climate change was also analyzed. The results showed that, different from the northern forest, there was distinct spatial heterogeneity in the effect of climate change on the dynamic change in vegetation growth in the Loess Plateau: 1) an advance of the start of the growing season(SOS) and a delay of the end of the growing season(EOS) significantly increased the NPP in spring and autumn, respectively, in the humid southeast;2) in the arid northwest, the NPP did not significantly increase in spring and autumn but significantly decreased in summer.

Carbon uptake and change in net primary productivity of oasis-desert ecosystem in arid western China with remote sensing technique

Arid and semi-arid ecosystems exhibit a spatially complex biogeophysical structure. According to arid western special climate-vegetation characters, the fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation (PV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), bare soil and water are unmixed, using the remote sensing spectral mixture analysis. We try the method to unmix the canopy funation structure of arid land cover in order to avoid the differentiation of regional vegetation system and the disturbance of environmental background. We developed a modified production efficiency model NPP-PEM appropriate for the arid area at regional scale based on the concept of radiation use efficiency. This model refer to the GLO-PEM and CASA model was driven with remotely sensed observations, and calculates not just the conversion efficiency of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation but also the carbon fluxes that determine net primary productivity (NPP). We apply and validate the model in the Kaxger and Yarkant river basins in arid western China. The NPP of the study area in 1992 and 1998 was estimated based on the NPP-PEM model. The results show that the improved PEM model, considering the photosynthetical activation of heterogeneous functional vegetation, is in good agreement with field measurements and the existing literature. An accurate agreement (R2 = 0.85, P<0.001) between the estimates and the ground-based measurement was obtained. The spatial distribution of mountain-oasis-desert ecosystem shows an obvious heterogeneous carbon uptake. The results are applicable to arid ecosystem studies ranging from characterizing carbon cycle, carbon flux over arid areas to monitoring change in mountain-oasis-desert productivity, stress and management.