Response of Reduced Grassland Degradation Index to Climate Change in China

Abstract

Grasslands have been increasingly impacted by human activities, gradually becoming one of the most threatened ecosystems globally. Advanced geographic information technology and remote sensing techniques allow for a fresh perspective on studying the response of the grassland degradation index (GDI) to climate change. This study utilized remote sensing image data of grasslands to calculate the vegetation coverage and derive the GDI for five grassland regions of China from 2001 to 2019. The results indicate that the national degradation status of grasslands remained at a level of mild degradation. The increasing trend of the GDI in some regions was effectively inhibited by regional climate change, especially in the Northeastern and Northern Plain–Mountain–Hill Grassland regions, where the GDI showed a continuous decreasing trend. GDI was strongly correlated with atmospheric pressure, precipitation, temperature, and wind speed. In the arid northern region, the increasing precipitation and decreasing temperatures predominantly contributed to the depressed GDI. In the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Grassland region, the instability of the GDI is attributed to fluctuating atmospheric pressure, with a correlation coefficient ranging from 0.5 to 0.8. Our findings underscore the importance of meteorological factors to evaluate and forecast grassland ecosystem stability. This understanding is vital for developing informed conservation and management strategies to address current and future climate challenges.