Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (9): 1484-1497.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.09.12

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal dynamics of grassland vegetation and its responses to climate change in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang

CHEN Chunbo1,2(),LI Junli1,2,ZHAO Yan3,XIA Jiang3(),TIAN Weitao3,LI Chaofeng4   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    2. Joint Laboratory for Remote Sensing Observation of Grassland Ecosystem in Arid Area, Urumqi 830049, Xinjiang, China
    3. Grassland Work Station of Changji Prefecture, Changji 831100, Xinjiang, China
    4. Ruichang Design Institute Co., Ltd., Urumqi 830049, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2023-03-23 Revised:2023-05-04 Online:2023-09-15 Published:2023-09-28
  • Contact: Jiang XIA E-mail:ccb_8586@ms.xjb.ac.cn;820203523@qq.com

Abstract:

As the most widespread ecosystem on Earth, grassland is vital for maintaining ecological security, sustainability, and human well-being. In this study, we used systemic methods of maximum synthesis, regression analysis, and partial correlation analysis to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of grassland and its responses to temperature and precipitation on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, from 2000 to 2020. The research was based on remote-sensed time series images (e.g., MODIS NPP and EVI) and related auxiliary data. The results indicate a significant increase in grassland NPP and EVI from 2000 to 2020, with temporal fluctuations. However, after 2016, both NPP, and EVI declined year over year. Over the past 20 years, the mean average NPP, and EVI of grassland vegetation were 0.095 kg C·m-2 and 0.186, respectively. In 2020, grassland NPP (0.099 kg C·m-2)and EVI (0.194) increased by 28.57% and 16.87%, respectively, compared to their values in 2000 (NPP: 0.077 kg C·m-2; EVI: 0.166). The spatial heterogeneity of grassland vegetation NPP increased substantially and showed a trend toward expansion, while the spatial heterogeneity of grassland EVI increased annually. The range of variation observed during this research was 0.038 kg C·m-2 for NPP and 0.059 for EVI. Overall, the spatial distribution of grassland NPP and EVI was generally coherent, but variations also existed. Grassland NPP and EVI showed an upward trend with altitude, with an elevated EVI along the oasis edge and the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert. In this study, we suggest that abundant water and heat induce the formation of vigorous layers of short-lived plants, resulting in higher coverage than other grassland plants after withering. These short-lived plants begin their life cycle in early spring, when hydrothermal conditions (e.g., temperature, soil moisture, and root zone soil temperature) are favorable, and they complete their germination, growth, fruiting, and withering phases from April to June. The area percentages of NPP (65.01%) and EVI (21.93%) showed a significant increasing trend on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, over the last 20 years. The proportion of vegetation NPP and EVI in the 9 grassland types showed a significant positive correlation with precipitation, which was much greater than that with temperature during the same period, confirming that precipitation is the major factor affecting grassland vegetation. Furthermore, the reactions of each grassland vegetation type (e.g., NPP and EVI) to precipitation varied. While precipitation remained a key driver for grassland, moderate warming, especially at high altitudes, was found to be suitable for the growth of grassland vegetation. These findings provide theoretical references for evaluating grassland ecological health and degradation, as well as the high-quality development of grassland on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang.

Key words: grasslands, ephemeral plants, warm humidification, MODIS NPP, MODIS EVI, spatial-temporal dynamics, the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains