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Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Systems and Global Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 May 2024) | Viewed by 16346

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Prof. Dr. Iva Apostolova

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Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Interests: vegetation classification; vegetation ecology; habitat and vegetation mapping; plant ecology; protected areas management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Special Issue “Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change” in the journal Land. The aim of this Special Issue is to show new findings or new methods that improve our knowledge and understanding of terrestrial vegetation dynamics and response under changing environments.

The terrestrial vegetation plays a fundamental role in global environment due to the different contributing processes which could be summarized within the wide spectrum of ecosystem services. The degree of vegetation stability and resilience of environmental changes becomes a key factor for nature conservation and sustainable development. The response to the variety of environmental changes, makes vegetation particularly important for modelling and predictions which will improve the capacity of environmental resources management, especially in the case of fragile ecosystems. Systematic analyses of long-term changes in spatiotemporal vegetation dynamics and its response to environmental change are essential to developing appropriate land planning and ecological conservation strategies.

All explored aspects of vegetation changes by different levels of community integrity (individuals, patches, populations, community, landscape, region) could be subjects of article themes, as well as directional trajectories and the endpoints of changes. Trait based, functional studies of vegetation changes may improve our understanding of the mechanisms that drive these changes.

We encourage studies from all aspects and approaches, including experiments, remote sensing, monitoring and modelling, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge and adaptation strategies for the preservation and management of terrestrial ecosystems in the future. The contribution to this special issue is expected to accelerate the understanding of vegetation dynamics and its driving mechanisms, and provide support for scientifically formulating and adjusting ecological restoration projects.

Prof. Dr. Iva Apostolova
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

ecosystem disturbances
land use change
plant community structure
primary production
species traits
succession
vegetation resilience

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Climate on Strongly Disturbed Vegetation of Bait Sites in a Central European Lower Montane Zone, Hungary

by Katalin Rusvai, Judit Házi and Szilárd Czóbel

Land 2024, 13(7), 1108; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071108 - 22 Jul 2024

Viewed by 711

Abstract

Human landscape-transforming activities contribute to the global change in vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We investigated the vegetation dynamics over several years in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). Important background factors are the changes in precipitation and temperature. Our results confirm that weed infestation is detectable at bait sites over a long period. The seasonal changes in field weed vegetation, as well as the increase in the number and coverage of weed species at the end of summer, resulting from lifestyle characteristics, were generally detectable in all years and locations, especially in the case of open and more strongly degraded clearings. Meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. Degradation was more significant in drought years, while regeneration was also observed in wetter periods. At baits located in the clearing, we showed a positive correlation between the amount of summer precipitation and the total coverage of weed species, as well as between the average spring temperature and the coverage of certain weed species. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. Considering that there are approx. 30,000 bait sites in the country, and they are used regularly and very intensively, they can serve as major infection hotspots for alien species in a network. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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21 pages, 9869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Scale Climatic Factors on Grassland Phenology in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones

by Tong Dong, Jing Liu, Mingjie Shi, Panxing He, Ping Li and Dahai Liu

Land 2024, 13(5), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050653 - 10 May 2024

Viewed by 1086

Abstract

Influenced by climate change, significant alterations in vegetation phenology have been observed globally. Grassland phenology is highly sensitive to climate change. However, research on the variations in grassland phenology and its responses to seasonal climatic changes in arid and semi-arid regions remains scarce. This study, utilizing Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) data, meteorological station data, and grassland type data, employs trend analysis and time series analysis to explore the trends of seasonal climatic variability and the sensitivity response of grassland phenology in Xinjiang to seasonal climates. The findings reveal the following: (1) The region experiences more pronounced warming in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, with ground temperature increments outpacing those of air temperatures. The summer season registers the peak in precipitation volume and rate of increase, where mountainous zones accrue more rainfall compared to basins and plains. The distribution of sunshine duration is characterized by higher values in eastern areas than in the west and more in the plains than in mountainous regions, potentially due to escalating cloudiness, which has contributed to a diminishing trend in sunshine hours across Xinjiang over the past 20 years. (2) Over the past two decades, the perennial greening phase of Xinjiang grasslands has predominantly occurred in early May, showing an overall trend of occurring earlier by approximately 5.47 days per decade, while the yellowing phase mainly occurs at the end of September and the beginning of October, demonstrating a delaying trend (6.61 days/decade). The average length of the growing season is 145 days, generally showing a slightly increasing trend (11.97 days/decade). (3) In spring, the rise in air and ground temperatures, along with increased sunshine duration, all promote grassland growth, leading to an earlier greening phase. Conversely, in autumn, increases in air temperature, ground temperature, and sunshine duration can inhibit grassland growth, resulting in an earlier yellowing phase. Increased precipitation in summer and autumn can delay the yellowing phase and extend the length of the grassland growing season. This research provides new insights into the factors influencing large-scale grassland phenology and offers references for grassland adaptation to future climate changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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17 pages, 8862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Impact of Climate Change and Human Activities on the NDVI of Arid Areas—A Case Study of the Shiyang River Basin

by Xing Li, Yong Wang, Yong Zhao, Jiaqi Zhai, Yuan Liu, Shuying Han and Kuan Liu

Land 2024, 13(4), 533; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040533 - 17 Apr 2024

Viewed by 981

Abstract

Arid zone ecosystems, integral to terrestrial systems, exhibit relatively low stability and are prone to influences from human activities and climate change. To elucidate the influence on the ecological environment of the arid zone by climate change and human activities, the paper takes normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as an evaluation index of the ecosystem and uses trend analysis to evaluation of NDVI variation characteristics in the Shiyang River Basin (SRB) from 1990 to 2020. Simultaneously using methods such as partial correlation analysis and residual analysis to evaluate the impact of climate change and human activities on NDVI changes. This study yielded several key findings: (1) The NDVI in the SRB exhibits an increasing trend of 0.034/10a in the interannual variation. (2) The relation cooperatives between NDVI and the deviation of precipitation and temperature in the SRB range from −0.735 to 0.770 and −0.602 to 0.773, respectively. (3) The changes in land use and groundwater depth in the SRB have a certain impact on NDVI changes. (4) The proportion of areas with significant contributions (contribution rate greater than 60%) from climate change and human activities to NDVI change is 33.5% and 22.5%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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17 pages, 22276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Response of the NDVI to the SPEI at Different Time Scales in Yinshanbeilu, Inner Mongolia, China

by Sinan Wang, Xigang Xing, Yingjie Wu, Jianying Guo, Mingyang Li and Bin Fu

Land 2024, 13(4), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040523 - 15 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1204

Abstract

Recently, the frequent occurrence of droughts has caused a serious impact on vegetation growth and progression. This research is based upon the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 2001 to 2020. The correlation between the NDVI and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at disparate time scales was used to assess the response of vegetation growth to drought in the Yinshanbeilu region. The drought levels of SPEI1, SPEI3, SPEI6, and SPEI12 increased prominently in the eastern region of the country, while the NDVI decreased significantly from east to west in spring, summer, and autumn but was reversed in the winter. The area with an upward trend (33.86%) was slightly lower than that with a downward trend (66.14%). The correlation coefficients between the NDVI and SPEI over the entire year increased with the SPEI timescale. The elevated values were concentrated in the southeastern and western regions of the survey region. Additionally, the best correlation timescales were SPEI6 and SPEI12. Grassland was the most sensitive vegetation type to the SPEI response in the NDVI. The correlation coefficients of NDVI and SPEI1–12 were 0.313, 0.459, 0.422, and 0.406. Both spring and summer were more responsive to SPEI12, whereas autumn and winter were more responsive to SPEI3. The correlation of disparate time scales exhibited complex soil texture features with respect to different seasonal scales, and the soil texture showed a strong response to vegetation in both summer and autumn. Loam, sandy loam, and silty loam all exhibited the highest response to SPEI12, with coefficients of 0.509, 0.474, and 0.403, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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21 pages, 15700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Effects of Meteorological Factors, Terrain, and Greenhouse Gases on Vegetation Phenology in Arid Areas of Central Asia from 1982 to 2021

by Ruikang Tian, Liang Liu, Jianghua Zheng, Jianhao Li, Wanqiang Han and Yujia Liu

Land 2024, 13(2), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020180 - 3 Feb 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1433

Abstract

Spatiotemporal variations in Central Asian vegetation phenology provide insights into arid ecosystem behavior and its response to environmental cues. Nevertheless, comprehensive research on the integrated impact of meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, saturation vapor pressure deficit), topography (slope, aspect, elevation), and greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) on the phenology of Central Asian vegetation remains insufficient. Utilizing methods such as partial correlation and structural equation modeling, this study delves into the direct and indirect influences of climate, topography, and greenhouse gases on the phenology of vegetation. The results reveal that the start of the season decreased by 0.239 days annually, the length of the season increased by 0.044 days annually, and the end of the season decreased by 0.125 days annually from 1982 to 2021 in the arid regions of Central Asia. Compared with topography and greenhouse gases, meteorological factors are the dominant environmental factors affecting interannual phenological changes. Temperature and vapor pressure deficits (VPD) have become the principal meteorological elements influencing interannual dynamic changes in vegetation phenology. Elevation and slope primarily regulate phenological variation by influencing the VPD and soil moisture, whereas aspect mainly affects the spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation phenology by influencing precipitation and temperature. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of how various environmental factors collectively influence the phenology of vegetation, thereby fostering a more profound exploration of the intricate response relationships of terrestrial ecosystems to environmental changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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18 pages, 12124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Warming Dominates Vegetation Productivity in the Hanjiang River Basin, China

by Yuhui Bao, Liang Zheng, Kai Zhu and Hai Liu

Land 2023, 12(10), 1891; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101891 - 9 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1233

Abstract

The Hanjiang River Basin (HJRB) encompasses the Danjiangkou Reservoir, a critical water source for the South-to-North Water Transfer project, the world’s largest such endeavor. Recent studies have highlighted that increased vegetation growth in the HJRB has led to reduced water availability in the region. To investigate the seasonal dynamics and spatial patterns of vegetation and their association with the local climate, we employed Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), a pivotal component of terrestrial carbon-water cycling, derived from the MODIS MOD17A2HGF dataset at a 500 m resolution. We combined this dataset with station meteorological data and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to explore the complex relationship between vegetation productivity, climate fluctuations, and hydrothermal changes in the HJRB from 2000 to 2020. Our findings reveal that the rising trend in vegetation productivity in the HJRB is primarily attributable to climate warming. Different types of vegetation in the upstream and downstream areas exhibit varying water requirements. While the region has not experienced prolonged widespread drought conditions thanks to its excellent water conservation capabilities, there remains a certain level of drought risk in the downstream area as the climate continues to warm. Moreover, variables such as wind speed and sunshine duration significantly impact the hydrothermal conditions within the river basin, consequently influencing vegetation productivity. This study elucidates the mechanisms through which climate change affects vegetation productivity in the HJRB. Despite afforestation efforts in the upstream region and climate warming leading to increased greening, there may be implications for the water retention function of the HJRB. This understanding is crucial for water resource management and ecosystem sustainability in the HJRB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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15 pages, 3032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Variation in Vegetation and Its Influencing Factors in the Songliao River Basin, China

by Lei Chang, Ying Li, Keyi Zhang, Jialin Zhang and Yuefen Li

Land 2023, 12(9), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091692 - 29 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1242

Abstract

As an important part of soil and water conservation, ecological stability, and climate regulation, vegetation is sensitive to climate change and human disturbance. At present, there is a lack of research on the dynamic changes to vegetation in river basins and sub-basins from a holistic and partial perspective, which limits our ability to understand the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation changes and their influencing factors. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of vegetation and their influencing factors in the Songliao River Basin (SLB) from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed using Sen’s trend method, the Mann–Kendall test, the coefficient of variation method, and the Geodetector method. The results showed that the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in the SLB exhibited an increasing trend of 0.003 yr⁻¹, indicating that the vegetation was greening. In general, climatic factors and soil type were the dominant factors affecting the spatial differentiation of the NDVI in the SLB and sub-basin units. The interactions between the influencing factors were all enhanced, and the population density highlighted its influence on reflected vegetation changes. We also focused on analyzing the spatial differentiation of vegetation changes and influencing factors in the sub-basins. The research results provide a basis for the ecological restoration and stability of the basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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14 pages, 3183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing the Land Use and Cover Change Inside and Outside China’s Ecological Function Area

by Yajuan Wang, Yongheng Rao and Hongbo Zhu

Land 2023, 12(7), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071447 - 20 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1903

Abstract

The establishment of nature reserves and ecological function areas is crucial for preserving the natural environment and the invaluable services provided by ecosystems. In our study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using the 2011–2020 Chinese land cover dataset to examine the impact of ecological function areas on regional land use and cover change. This analysis allowed us to quantify and visualize the intensity, aggregation effects, and transformation paths of land cover change while considering China’s ecological function areas. Our findings highlight notable disparities in land cover types between the ecological function area and its surroundings. Within the ecological function area, forest and grassland dominate, constituting 67% of the total land cover. In contrast, outside the ecological function area, there is a greater presence of wasteland, in addition to forest and grassland. Moreover, the abundance of impervious surfaces, which are closely linked to human activities, is significantly higher outside the ecological function area, almost double the amount found inside. By examining specific land cover types, we observed that forests exhibit the least change within the ecological function area, whereas croplands experience the least change outside. Throughout the study period, approximately 8.1% of land cover pixels underwent changes, with some areas displaying a frequency of change reaching up to 2. Interestingly, the number of high-frequency land use and cover change pixels inside the ecological function area is only half of the outside. Notably, a higher percentage of impervious surfaces within the ecological function area (0.13%) were converted into cropland compared to the outside (0.07%). Understanding the dynamics of land cover change within China’s ecological function areas provides valuable insights for effective land resource management and planning. It enables us to make informed decisions to ensure the sustainable development and conservation of these areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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17 pages, 4293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“What’s Past Is Prologue”: Vegetation Model Calibration with and without Future Climate

by Ellynne Kutschera, John B. Kim, G. Stephen Pitts and Ray Drapek

Land 2023, 12(6), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061121 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1253

Abstract

Many models are designed to generate future predictions under climate-change scenarios. Such models are typically calibrated for a study area with climate data that represent historical conditions. However, future projections of the model may include outputs for which the model has not been calibrated. Ideally, a climate-change-impacts model would be calibrated for recent conditions and also for possible future climate conditions. We demonstrate an approach, where a vegetation model is subjected to two calibrations: conventionally to the study area and separately to the study area plus additional areas representing analogues of potential future climate. We apply the dynamic vegetation model MC2 to a mountainous ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest, USA. We compare the conventional model calibration with the extra-study-area calibration and future projections. The two calibrations produce different outputs in key ecosystem variables, where some differences vary with time. Some model output trends for net primary productivity and plant functional type are more influenced by climatic input, while for others, the calibration area has greater consequence. Excluding areas representing potential future climate may be an important omission in model calibration, making the inclusion of such areas a decisive consideration in climate-change-impact simulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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15 pages, 1995 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Native and Dryland Pasture Seed Mixes Impact Revegetation 12 Years after Pipeline Construction in Southern Alberta

by D. Kelly Ostermann, Amalesh Dhar and M. Anne Naeth

Land 2023, 12(4), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040921 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1822

Abstract

Activities associated with agriculture, grazing, and the energy industry have altered large tracts of native rangeland in North America. Pipelining causes intense local disturbance by removal of vegetation and alterations to soil horizons. Following a disturbance, reclamation is required to return the land to equivalent land capability. Revegetation is usually by seeding native and/or agronomic (non-native, dominant) species. This study investigated the long-term effects of native and dryland pasture (91% non-native species) seed mixes, grazing, and right-of-way (RoW) treatments on revegetation of native rangeland in southeastern Alberta. Native seed mixes were more successful at enhancing seeded vegetation cover than dryland pasture seed mixes. Grazing had a significant impact only on the survival of non-native grasses. The seed mix did not significantly affect total, native, non-native, annual, or perennial forb cover. Total forb cover was significantly higher on the trench with the dryland pasture seed mix than all other RoW treatments (storage, work). This long-term study suggests that native seed mixes can result in successful revegetation of reclamation following pipeline construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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18 pages, 4726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of NDVI Changes in the Altay Region from 1981 to 2018 and Their Relationship to Climatic Factors

by Yang Yan, Junhui Cheng, Yongkang Li, Jie Fan and Hongqi Wu

Land 2023, 12(3), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030564 - 26 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2247

Abstract

Vegetation growth and its response to climatic factors have become one of the most pressing issues in ecological research. However, no consensus has yet been reached on how to resolve this problem in arid areas with a high-elevation gradient and complex underlying surface. Here, NOAA CDR AVHRR NDVI V5 for 1981–2018 and China’s regional surface meteorological faction-driven datasets were used. General linear regression, the Mann-Kendall test and sliding t-test, Pearson correlations, and the Akaike information criterion (AIC), on a grid-scale, were applied to analyze the annual normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and its relationship with temperature and precipitation in the Altay region. Results revealed that the temporal trend of NDVI for most grid cells was non-significant. However, mountains, coniferous forests, grasslands, and meadows in the high-elevation zone displayed a slow increasing trend in NDVI. Further, NDVI was positively correlated with the mean annual temperature and total annual precipitation, the latter playing a more significant role. Yet, for desert and shrub vegetation and coniferous forest, their NDVI had insignificant negative correlations with the mean annual temperature. Hence, both the trends and drivers of NDVI of high elevation are highly complex. This study’s findings provide a reference for research on vegetation responses to climate change in arid areas having a high-elevation gradients and complex underlying surfaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terrestrial Vegetation Dynamics and Its Response to Environmental Change)

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