Critical role of water conditions in the responses of autumn phenology of marsh wetlands to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: The Tibetan Plateau, housing 20% of China's wetlands, plays a vital role in the regional carbon cycle. Examining the phenological dynamics of wetland vegetation in response to climate change is crucial for understanding its impact on the ecosystem. Despite this importance, the specific effects of climate change on wetland vegetation phenology in this region remain uncertain. In this study, we investigated the influence of climate change on the end of the growing season (EOS) of marsh wetland vegetation across the Tibetan Plateau, utilizing satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data and observational climate data. We observed that the regionally averaged EOS of marsh vegetation across the Tibetan Plateau was significantly (p < .05) delayed by 4.10 days/decade from 2001 to 2020. Warming preseason temperatures were found to be the primary driver behind the delay in the EOS of marsh vegetation, whereas preseason cumulative precipitation showed no significant impact. Interestingly, the responses of EOS to climate change varied spatially across the plateau, indicating a regulatory role for hydrological conditions in marsh phenology. In the humid and cold central regions, preseason daytime warming significantly delayed the EOS. However, areas with lower soil moisture exhibited a weaker or reversed delay effect, suggesting complex interplays between temperature, soil moisture, and EOS. Notably, in the arid southwestern regions of the plateau, increased preseason rainfall directly delayed the EOS, while higher daytime temperatures advanced it. Our results emphasize the critical role of hydrological conditions, specifically soil moisture, in shaping marsh EOS responses in different regions. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate hydrological factors into terrestrial ecosystem models, particularly in cold and dry regions, for accurate predictions of marsh vegetation phenological responses to climate change. This understanding is vital for informed conservation and management strategies in the face of current and future climate challenges.
Source: Global Change Biology
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17097
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Beijing Normal University, State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Paris-Saclay - Etablissement de Saclay, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bangor University, National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Edinburgh, Northeast Forestry University, Northeastern University, Mills College, Tianjin University
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Climate action, Life on land
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1175115578, G1233563442, G2262748287, G2414093359, G2601397997, G2895261104, G300979063, G3480869486, G3560858321, G3681454997, G387506447, G4042783231, G425668148, G5080475149, G5195188938, G5338730000, G5662792045, NCEO LTS-S, G7084143925, G7685872390, G8181687345, 东北内陆平原典型沼泽湿地植被分布格局对气候变化的响应
OpenAlex ID: W4389683018