Warming and Rising Atmospheric CO2 Concentration Drive Global Woody Encroachment from 2001 to 2020

Abstract

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) has been widely studied, yet the spatiotemporal pattern of global WPE and its drivers remain unclear. Here, based on long-term remote sensing observations, we investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of global WPE from 2001 to 2020 and assessed the contributions of the changes in main environmental factors. We found a significantly increasing WPE trend (0.25% a−1, P 0.05 and −0.03% a−1, P < 0.01). We also found that the effects of local factors, such as human activities and natural disturbances, on WPE were non-negligible (0.07% a−1, P < 0.01). Our study provides a comprehensive picture of the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of global WPE, enhancing our understanding of biome transitions in response to environmental changes.