Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The impacts of aridification on land surface phenological changes in the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China based on the climatic zoning method

  • Research
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Key phenological periods of vegetation (such as the start (SOS) and end (EOS) of the growing season) are affected by climate change and human activities. However, the impact of aridification on these phenological responses is still unclear. In the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China (FPENC), which is plagued by severe aridification, the climate change-dominant aridification zone (CDA), human activity-dominant aridification zone (HDA), and compound-dominant aridification zone (CHDA) were differentiated, and their phenological responses to different aridification types were studied via multiyear remote sensing inversion and meteorological data. Our results suggest that aridification significantly shortened the vegetation growing season, i.e., the SOS tended to be delayed (0.4–5.12 d/10a), and the EOS tended to be advanced (0–2.89 d/10a). In addition, the negative impact of CHDA, which had the highest aridification intensity, on phenological change was 3 to 4 times than that of CDA and twice than that of HDA. Thresholds were found in the phenological responses to climate change: in aridification areas, where the interannual warming rate exceeded 0.02–0.04 °C/a or the increased rate of interannual precipitation was less than 8 mm/a, prolonged growing seasons transitioned to shortened seasons. Furthermore, there was a nonlinear relationship between human activity contributions and phenological changes. When human activity contributions were between 40 and 70%, the growing season was significantly shortened. The extent of the SOS delay for cultivated land was greater than that for grassland, while the extent of the EOS advance was less for cultivated land than for grassland. Within the same climate zone, cultivated land phenological changes were stabilized by human activities, while grassland phenological changes under natural conditions were more severe and accompanied by signs of vegetation degradation. This study provides incremental knowledge for understanding the impacts of aridification on phenology and for adapting to aridification.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to confidentiality agreement with the data provider but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

FPENC :

the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China

CHDA :

the climate change and human activities compound-dominant aridification zone

CDA :

the climate change-dominant aridification zone

HDA :

the human activity-dominant aridification zone

SOS :

the start of the growing season

EOS :

the end of the growing season

LOS :

the length of the growing season

TVDI :

the temperature vegetation drought index

TDA :

temperature-dominated aridification zone

TPCA :

temperature-precipitation compound aridification zone

PDA :

precipitation-dominated aridification zone. See Fig. 3 for other abbreviations.

References

  • An Q, He H, Nie Q et al (2020) Spatial and temporal variations of drought in Inner Mongolia, China. Water-Sui 12:1715

    Google Scholar 

  • Bao X, Cui S, Wang Q et al (2017) Phenology of grassland plants: a mini review. Chin J Ecol 36:2321–2326

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao S, Tian T, Chen L et al (2010) Damage caused to the environment by reforestation policies in arid and semi-arid areas of China. AMBIO 39:279–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao Q, Zhang Y, Gao X et al (2016) Paris Agreement: a new start for global governance on climate. Clim Chang Res 12:61–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen X, Jiang L, Zhang G et al (2021) Green-depressing cropping system: a referential land use practice for fallow to ensure a harmonious human-land relationship in the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Land Use Policy 100:104917

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen X, Wang H, Zhou Y et al (2010) Adaptation and determination of sowing date under climate change in early matured rice in Guangdong Province. Acta Ecol Sin 30:4748–4755

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang Z, He C, Liu Z et al (2020) Climate change and future trends in the agro-pastoral transitional zone in northern China: the comprehensive analysis with the historical observation and the model simulation. J Nat Resour 35:358–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Fauchald P, Park T, Tømmervik H et al (2017) Arctic greening from warming promotes declines in caribou populations. Sci Adv 3:e1601365

    Google Scholar 

  • Galvao LS, Dos Santos JR, Roberts DA et al (2011) On intra-annual EVI variability in the dry season of tropical forest: a case study with MODIS and hyperspectral data. Remote Sens Environ 115:2350–2359

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge W, Han J, Zhang D et al (2021) Divergent impacts of droughts on vegetation phenology and productivity in the Yungui Plateau, southwest China. Ecol Indic 127:107743

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu R, Zhou W, Bai M et al (2012) Impacts of climate change on phenological phase of herb in the main grassland in Inner Mongolia. Acta Ecol Sin 32:767–776

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo L, Dai J, Ranjitkar S et al (2013) Response of chestnut phenology in China to climate variation and change. Agric For Meteorol 180:164–172

    Google Scholar 

  • He L, Jin N, Yu Q (2020) Impacts of climate change and crop management practices on soybean phenology changes in China. Sci Total Environ 707:135638

    Google Scholar 

  • Hou X, Niu Z, Gao S et al (2013) Monitoring vegetation phenology in farming-pastoral zone using SPOT-VGT NDVI data. Trans Chinese Soc Agri Eng 29:142–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu Q, Pan F, Pan X et al (2015) Spatial analysis of climate change in Inner Mongolia during 1961–2012, China. Appl Geogr 60:254–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji S, Ren S, Li Y et al (2021) Diverse responses of spring phenology to preseason drought and warming under different biomes in the North China Plain. Sci Total Environ 766:144437

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Chen Q (2018) Modelling the impacts of climate change and crop management on phenological trends of spring and winter wheat in China. Agric For Meteorol 248:518–526

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobell DB, Ortiz-Monasterio JI, Asner GP et al (2005) Analysis of wheat yield and climatic trends in Mexico. Field Crop Res 94:250–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma Z, Fu C, Abatzoglou JT (2006) Facts of aridification in northern China from 1951 to 2004. Chin Sci Bull,50(20): 2429-2439. (in Chinese)

  • Meier M, Vitasse Y, Bugmann H et al (2021) Phenological shifts induced by climate change amplify drought for broad-leaved trees at low elevations in Switzerland. Agric For Meteorol 307:108485

    Google Scholar 

  • Piao S, Fang J, Zhou L et al (2006) Variations in satellite-derived phenology in China’s temperate vegetation. Glob Chang Biol 12:672–685

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren S, Peichl M (2021) Enhanced spatiotemporal heterogeneity and the climatic and biotic controls of autumn phenology in northern grasslands. Sci Total Environ 788:147806

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandholt I, Rasmussen K, Andersen J (2002) A simple interpretation of the surface temperature/vegetation index space for assessment of surface moisture status. Remote Sens Environ 79:213–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Seneviratne S, Pal J, Eltahir E et al (2002) Summer dryness in a warmer climate: a process study with a regional climate model. CLIM DYNAM 20:69–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Verón SR, De Abelleyra D, Lobell DB (2015) Impacts of precipitation and temperature on crop yields in the Pampas. Clim Change 130:235–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Huang Y, Wei Y et al (2019a) Inner Mongolian grassland plant phenological changes and their climatic drivers. Sci Total Environ 683:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang P, Qi X, Li L et al (2019b) Estimation of maize yield based on random forest regression. Trans Chinese Soc Agri Eng 50:237–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu L, Ma X, Dou X et al (2021) Impacts of climate change on vegetation phenology and net primary productivity in arid Central Asia. Sci Total Environ 796:149055

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao D, Tao F (2014) Contributions of cultivars, management and climate change to winter wheat yield in the North China Plain in the past three decades. Eur J Agron 52:112–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Liu J, Zhang S et al (2018) China multi period land use remote sensing monitoring dataset (CNLUCC). Resource and Environmental Science Data Registration and Publishing System. https://www.resdc.cn/

  • Xu X, Zhou G, Du H et al (2020) Combined MODIS land surface temperature and greenness data for modeling vegetation phenology, physiology, and gross primary production in terrestrial ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 726:137948

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Xu C, Li C et al (2009) Growth and required accumulated temperature of winter wheat under different sowing time. Chin J Agrometeorol 30:201–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao Y, Xiao G, Wang R et al (2009) Climatic changes of semi-arid region over the northwest China in recent 50a. Arid Land Geography 32:159–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan M, Zhao L, Lin A et al (2020) Impacts of preseason drought on vegetation spring phenology across the Northeast China Transect. Sci Total Environ 738:140297

    Google Scholar 

  • Zargar A, Sadiq R, Naser B et al (2011) A review of drought indices. Environ Rev 19:333–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Chen X, Zhou Y et al (2023) Land use/cover changes and subsequent water budget imbalance exacerbate soil aridification in the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China. J Hydrol 624:129939

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Tao J, Dong J et al (2011a) Spatiotemporal variations in thermal growing seasons due to climate change in Eastern Inner Mongolia during the period 1960-2010. Resources Science 33:2323–2332

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Xu X, Zhou C et al (2011b) Responses of grassland vegetation to climatic variations on different temporal scales in Hulun Buir Grassland in the past30 years. J Geogr Sci 21:634–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Zhang Y, Dong J et al (2013) Green-up dates in the Tibetan Plateau have continuously advanced from 1982 to 2011. Proc Natl Acad Sci 110:4309–4314

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Yang J, An P et al (2017) Enhancing soil drought induced by climate change and agricultural practices: observational and experimental evidence from the semiarid area of northern China. Agric For Meteorol 243:74–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Chen X, Zhou Y et al (2022a) Aridification in a farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China from 2 perspectives: climate and soil. J Environ Manage 302:114070

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Piao S, Sun Y et al (2022b) Future reversal of warming-enhanced vegetation productivity in the Northern Hemisphere. Nat Clim Chang 12:581–586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01374-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Yang X, Dai S et al (2015) Increased utilization of lengthening growing season and warming temperatures by adjusting sowing dates and cultivar selection for spring maize in Northeast China. Eur J Agron 67:12–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X (2010) Influence of climate change on agri-culture in Northeast China in recent 50 years. J Northeast Agric Univ 41:144–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Z, Cao Y (2022) Analysis and reflection on national strategy for climate change adaptation 2035. Environ Protection 50:42–46

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 42271286) and the Key R&D Program of Inner Mongolia, China (grant numbers 2022YFHH0052).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian, 100193, Beijing, China

    Guoliang Zhang, Yuling Jin, Yi Zhou, Haile Zhao, Sicheng Mao, Yuchao Luo, Siyu Chen, Xiuyue Wu & Pingli An

  2. Key Laboratory of Land Quality, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, 100193, China

    Guoliang Zhang, Yuling Jin, Yi Zhou, Haile Zhao, Sicheng Mao, Yuchao Luo, Siyu Chen, Xiuyue Wu & Pingli An

  3. Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Xin Chen

  4. College of Resources and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Zhihua Pan

  5. Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, Inner Mongolia, China

    Peiyi Zhao

Authors
  1. Guoliang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuling Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yi Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xin Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Haile Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sicheng Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yuchao Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Siyu Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Xiuyue Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Zhihua Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Pingli An
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Peiyi Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization: GZ, PA, PZ; methodology: GZ, YZ, SM; formal analysis and investigation: GZ, YJ, YL, SC, XW; writing — original draft preparation: GZ; writing — review and editing: YJ, XC, HZ; funding acquisition: PA, ZP; resources: PZ, ZP; supervision: PA, YJ, ZP.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Pingli An or Peiyi Zhao.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

ESM 1

(DOCX 6331 kb)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, G., Jin, Y., Zhou, Y. et al. The impacts of aridification on land surface phenological changes in the farming-pastoral ecotone of northern China based on the climatic zoning method. Theor Appl Climatol 155, 929–944 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-023-04669-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-023-04669-w

Search

Navigation