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Spatiotemporal changes in vegetation net primary productivity in the arid region of Northwest China, 2001 to 2012

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Abstract

Net primary productivity (NPP) is recognized as an important index of ecosystem conditions and a key variable of the terrestrial carbon cycle. It also represents the comprehensive effects of climate change and anthropogenic activity on terrestrial vegetation. In this study, the temporal-spatial pattern of NPP for the period 2001–2012 was analyzed using a remote sensing-based carbon model (i.e., the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach, CASA) in addition to other methods, such as linear trend analysis, standard deviation, and the Hurst index. Temporally, NPP showed a significant increasing trend for the arid region of Northwest China (ARNC), with an annual increase of 2.327 g C. Maximum and minimum productivity values appeared in July and December, respectively. Spatially, the NPP was relatively stable in the temperate and warm-temperate desert regions of Northwest China, while temporally, it showed an increasing trend. However, some attention should be given to the northwestern warm-temperate desert region, where there is severe continuous degradation and only a slight improvement trend.

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  1. College of Geographic and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Zhen Li & Jinghu Pan

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  1. Zhen Li
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Li, Z., Pan, J. Spatiotemporal changes in vegetation net primary productivity in the arid region of Northwest China, 2001 to 2012. Front. Earth Sci. 12, 108–124 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-017-0621-8

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