Response of Vegetation to Different Climate Extremes on a Monthly Scale in Guangdong, China

Abstract

Climate extremes, particularly drought, often affect the ecosystem. Guangdong Province is one of the most vulnerable areas in China. Using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to capture vegetation dynamics, this study investigated vegetation responses to drought, temperature, and precipitation extremes on a monthly scale in the vegetation area of Guangdong without vegetation type changes from 1982 to 2015. As extreme temperatures rose, a drought trend occurred in most months, with a higher rate in February and April. The vegetation evenly showed a significant greening trend in all months except June and October. The vegetation activity was significantly positively correlated with the increased extreme temperatures in most months. However, it exerted a negative correlation with drought in February, April, May, June, and September, as well as precipitation extremes in February, April, and June. The response of vegetation to drought was the most sensitive in June. The vegetation tended to be more sensitive to short-term droughts (1–2 months) and had no time lag in response to drought. The results are helpful to provide references for ecological management and ecosystem protection.

Keywords

• vegetation dynamics
• monthly scale
• climate extremes
• drought
• NDVI
• Guangdong