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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2025, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (9): 2797-2804.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202509.029

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Changes in normalized difference vegetation index in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin and its response to climatic factors

CHEN Jiangbo1,2, ZHAO Yuanyuan1,2, DING Guodong1,2*, WANG Xuelin1,2, DONG Peng1,2, LIU Yadan1,2, LU Jiaxue1,2   

  1. 1College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University/Engineering Research Center of Forestry Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China;
    2Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2025-01-12 Accepted:2025-07-10 Online:2025-09-18 Published:2026-04-18

Abstract: Under the context of global warming, research on vegetation response in the ecologically fragile Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is crucial for formulating watershed conservation policies. We analyzed the spatiotemporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin from 2000 to 2022, combined with land use and meteorological data, by using Sen’s slope estimation and Mann-Kendall test method. We further elucidated the climatic driving mechanisms through correlation analysis. The NDVI in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin exhibited a fluctuating upward trend from 2000 to 2022, with 83.5% of the area showing significant increases. Spatially, NDVI displayed a decreasing trend from upstream to downstream regions, with a negative relationship between NDVI values and elevation. Climate drivers were region specific. NDVI in upper basin and mid-basin showed significant positive correlation with mean annual temperature and annual precipitation, respectively. The NDVI in downstream displayed no significant correlations with climatic factors. Our findings would provide scientific basis for ecological protection and sustainable development in the Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin under climate change.

Key words: normalized difference vegetation index, climatic factor, correlation analysis, vegetation index