Spatiotemporal variation and driving factors of net primary productivity on the Loess Plateau during 2000-2020

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.202606.020

Abstract

Abstract: To accurately quantify the contributions of climate change and human activities to net primary productivity (NPP) on the Loess Plateau, we used MODIS products, meteorological data, land use data, and the partial derivative method to analyze spatiotemporal variations and driving mechanisms of NPP from 2000 to 2020. Results showed that NPP increased significantly during 2000-2020, with an average annual growth rate of 6.76 g C·m^-2·a^-1. The NPP growth rate during 2000-2009 (7.99 g C·m^-2·a^-1) was higher than that from 2010 to 2020 (5.85 g C·m^-2·a^-1). In 83.3% area of the Loess Plateau region, the spatial variation of NPP exhibited an extremely significant upward trend, with only a small portion showing non-significant change or a declining trend. The increase in vegetation NPP on the Loess Plateau was synergistically driven by climate change and human activities, where precipitation was the dominant climatic factor, with 96.5% of the regional NPP positively correlated with precipitation. Temperature promoted NPP overall, while solar radiation exhibited a distinct meridional zonality in its correlation with NPP. Driven by combined climate and human activities, regional vegetation NPP increased significantly but with a decelerated growth rate, indicating a shift from rapid restoration to stable and sustainable development. Our findings would provide theoretical support for vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau.

Key words: net primary productivity, Loess Plateau, climate change, human activity

ZHANG Yun, YANG Yiting, WEN Xiaochen, ZHANG Wantao, ZHU Xuke, MA Lihui. Spatiotemporal variation and driving factors of net primary productivity on the Loess Plateau during 2000-2020[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2026, 37(6): 1991-1999.

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