The responses of ecological indicators to compound extreme climate indices in Southwestern China

Qingao Lu; Yuandong Zhang; Bochao Song; Hui Shao; Xiaorui Tian; Shirong Liu

Ecological Indicators (Dec 2023)

The responses of ecological indicators to compound extreme climate indices in Southwestern China

Qingao Lu,
Yuandong Zhang,
Bochao Song,
Hui Shao,
Xiaorui Tian,
Shirong Liu

Affiliations

Qingao Lu: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yuandong Zhang: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; Corresponding author at: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Dongxiaofu No.2, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China.
Bochao Song: Beijing Institute of Radio Measurement, Beijing 100854, China
Hui Shao: Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Xiaorui Tian: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Shirong Liu: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 157
p. 111253

Abstract

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Global warming has been leading to frequent climate extremes, and a single variable of climate extremes is no longer sufficient to fully assess the impact of climate extremes on ecosystems, requiring a synergistic multivariate inquiry. We obtain the compound warm-dry index (CWD) and the compound cold-dry index (CCD), based on a Copula theory with a binary distribution of a standardized precipitation index (SPI) and a standardized temperature index (STI). Changes in the spatial and temporal patterns of the compound extreme climate indices (CECIs) and the direct and lag responses of ecological indicators (EIs) to the CECIs in Southwestern China (SWC) are analyzed using these two indices. We find that CECIs rise continually during 1980–2019 (p 3000 m). Spring CCD promotes the growth of vegetation at low elevation (<1000 m), while summer CCD inhibits it at high elevation. Meanwhile, spring CCD has a strong lag positive effect on summer vegetation growth at low elevation specifically in Sichuan Basin, especially for crops (46.8 %). Our findings highlight the impact of compound climatic conditions on vegetation at specific geographical terrain, and vegetation in different regions can have complex and different responses to compound climate extremes.

Published in Ecological Indicators

ISSN: 1470-160X (Print); 1872-7034 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Ecology
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ecological-indicators

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