Assessing vegetation response to multi-time-scale drought across inner Mongolia plateau

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 179; pp. 210 - 216
• Main Authors: Li, Chunlan, Leal Filho, Walter, Yin, Jie, Hu, Richa, Wang, Jun, Yang, Chengshu, Yin, Shan, Bao, Yuhai, Ayal, Desalegn Yayeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2018
• Subjects: Climate extremes; Inner Mongolia plateau (IMP); Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); Standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI); Steppe; Climate extremes; Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); Inner Mongolia plateau (IMP); Steppe; Standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI)
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.113

This study assessed the impacts of climate change in IMP by investigating vegetation responses drought in multiple timescales. Methods used included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), by annual maximum Pearson correlation (Rmax) and the corresponding month (Rmonth) of drought. Results showed that: (1) It is necessary to zone IMP when analyzing the vegetation responses to drought. (2) Rmax is significantly positive correlation in IMP, indicating that vegetation was largely influenced by drought; the most seriously affected areas are in the north-eastern part of typical steppe, south-western parts of steppe desert and southern part of desert steppe, while light seriously are distributed in the south-eastern of typical steppe and forest steppe. (3) Vegetation in typical steppe, steppe desert and desert steppe are sensitive to shorter time-scales of droughts, while in the forest, forest steppe and sand desert, vegetation shows a close relationship with the longer drought time-scales. (4) The effects of drought related climate extremes can also contribute to Rmax and Rmonth between SPEI and NDVI. Vegetation in forest and sand desert areas, have lower sensitivity to drought under the effect of climate extremes. Adaptation measures, such as building drought resilience vegetation types, applying biochar and monitoring and forecasting drought, must be timely and effectively initiated, especially, in the typical steppe, steppe desert and desert steppe in IMP since vegetation in these four areas is affected seriously, once drought occur. The results from this study may provide useful information about appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies against the inverse effects of drought on vegetation, and even alleviate the losses caused by drought. •Vegetation in forest, forest steppe and sand desert have sensitivity to drought in longer time-scales.•Anomalies in precipitations are seen in the Inner Mongolia Plateau in China.•Inner Mongolia Plateau (IMP) in China is under the serious drought risks and measures to tackle it are needed.•Drought-related climate extremes negatively affect vegetation.