Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia
There is consistent evidence of vegetation greening in Central Asia over the past four decades. However, in the early 1990s, the greening temporarily stagnated and even for a time reversed. In this study, we evaluate changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on the long-term...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-05-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/11/2574 |
| _version_ | 1797491866838499328 |
|---|---|
| author | Haichao Hao Yaning Chen Jianhua Xu Zhi Li Yupeng Li Patient Mindje Kayumba |
| author_facet | Haichao Hao Yaning Chen Jianhua Xu Zhi Li Yupeng Li Patient Mindje Kayumba |
| author_sort | Haichao Hao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is consistent evidence of vegetation greening in Central Asia over the past four decades. However, in the early 1990s, the greening temporarily stagnated and even for a time reversed. In this study, we evaluate changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on the long-term satellite-derived remote sensing data systems of the Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI from 1981 to 2013 and MODIS NDVI from 2000 to 2020 to determine whether the vegetation in Central Asia has browned. Our findings indicate that the seasonal sequence of NDVI is summer > spring > autumn > winter, and the spatial distribution pattern is a semicircular distribution, with the Aral Sea Basin as its core and an upward tendency from inside to outside. Around the mid-1990s, the region’s vegetation experienced two climatic environments with opposing trends (cold and wet; dry and hot). Prior to 1994, NDVI increased substantially throughout the growth phase (April–October), but this trend reversed after 1994, when vegetation began to brown. Our findings suggest that changes in vegetation NDVI are linked to climate change induced by increased CO<sub>2</sub>. The state of water deficit caused by temperature changes is a major cause of the browning turning point across the study area. At the same time, changes in vegetation NDVI were consistent with changes in drought degree (PDSI). This research is relevant for monitoring vegetation NDVI and carbon neutralization in Central Asian ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:55:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d131fa22cd94671b791aa818ca9d4fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:55:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d131fa22cd94671b791aa818ca9d4fc2023-11-23T14:43:52ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-05-011411257410.3390/rs14112574Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central AsiaHaichao Hao0Yaning Chen1Jianhua Xu2Zhi Li3Yupeng Li4Patient Mindje Kayumba5School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaXinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaThere is consistent evidence of vegetation greening in Central Asia over the past four decades. However, in the early 1990s, the greening temporarily stagnated and even for a time reversed. In this study, we evaluate changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) based on the long-term satellite-derived remote sensing data systems of the Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI from 1981 to 2013 and MODIS NDVI from 2000 to 2020 to determine whether the vegetation in Central Asia has browned. Our findings indicate that the seasonal sequence of NDVI is summer > spring > autumn > winter, and the spatial distribution pattern is a semicircular distribution, with the Aral Sea Basin as its core and an upward tendency from inside to outside. Around the mid-1990s, the region’s vegetation experienced two climatic environments with opposing trends (cold and wet; dry and hot). Prior to 1994, NDVI increased substantially throughout the growth phase (April–October), but this trend reversed after 1994, when vegetation began to brown. Our findings suggest that changes in vegetation NDVI are linked to climate change induced by increased CO<sub>2</sub>. The state of water deficit caused by temperature changes is a major cause of the browning turning point across the study area. At the same time, changes in vegetation NDVI were consistent with changes in drought degree (PDSI). This research is relevant for monitoring vegetation NDVI and carbon neutralization in Central Asian ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/11/2574Central Asiadroughttemperaturevegetation browningvapor pressure deficit |
| spellingShingle | Haichao Hao Yaning Chen Jianhua Xu Zhi Li Yupeng Li Patient Mindje Kayumba Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia Remote Sensing Central Asia drought temperature vegetation browning vapor pressure deficit |
| title | Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia |
| title_full | Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia |
| title_fullStr | Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia |
| title_short | Water Deficit May Cause Vegetation Browning in Central Asia |
| title_sort | water deficit may cause vegetation browning in central asia |
| topic | Central Asia drought temperature vegetation browning vapor pressure deficit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/11/2574 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT haichaohao waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia AT yaningchen waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia AT jianhuaxu waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia AT zhili waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia AT yupengli waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia AT patientmindjekayumba waterdeficitmaycausevegetationbrowningincentralasia |