Exploring the comprehensive link between climatic factors and vegetation productivity in China.

Abstract

Understanding the influence of climatic factors on vegetation dynamics and cumulative effects is critical for global sustainable development. However, the response of vegetation to climate and the underlying mechanisms in different climatic zones remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the response of vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) to climatic factors and the cumulative effects across various vegetation types and climatic zones, utilizing data on precipitation (P_r), temperature (T_a), and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The results showed that: (1) GPP showed significant differences among the seven climatic zones, with the highest value observed in zone VII, reaching 1860.07 gC·m^- 2, and the lowest in zone I, at 126.03 gC·m^- 2. (2) GPP was significantly and positively correlated with temperature in climatic zones I, IV, V, and VI and with precipitation in climatic zones I, II, and IV. Additionally, a significant positive correlated was found between SPEI and GPP in climatic zones I, II, and IV. (3) Drought exerted a cumulative effect on GPP in 45.10% of the regions within China, with an average cumulative duration of 5 months. These effects persisted for 6-8 months in zones I, II, and VII, and for 2-4 months in zones III, IV and VI. Among different vegetation types, forests experienced longest cumulative effect time of 6 months, followed by grasslands (5 months), croplands (4 months), and shrublands (4 months). The cumulative time scale decreased with increasing annual SPEI. The varying responses and accumulation of GPP to drought among different vegetation types in various climatic zones underscore the complexity of vegetation-climate interactions the response and accumulation of GPP to drought.