Nearly Half of Global Vegetated Area Experienced Inconsistent Vegetation Growth in Terms of Greenness, Cover, and Productivity

• Main Authors: Zihan Ding, Jian Peng, Sijing Qiu, Yan Zhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2020-10-01
• Series: Earth's Future
• Subjects: global vegetation growth; inconsistent trend; vegetation greenness; vegetation cover; vegetation productivity
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001618

Abstract The considerable interest in detecting global vegetation changes based on satellite observations is increasing. However, studies rely on single indices to explore the driving mechanisms of the greening trend might exacerbate uncertainties of global ecosystem change. Thus, vegetation growth dynamics from various biophysical properties required to be monitored comprehensively. In this study, a consistent framework for evaluating vegetation growth trends was developed based on five widely used satellite‐derived products of MODIS Collection 6; the consistency in vegetation growth was mapped; and the factors that affected the consistency of vegetation growth were explored. The results showed that, during 2000‐2015, 45.6% of global vegetated area experienced inconsistent trends in vegetation greenness, cover and productivity, especially in evergreen broadleaf forests, grasslands, open shrublands, woody savannas and croplands. Only 5.4% of global vegetated area exhibited simultaneous trends in greenness, cover and productivity, and the inconsistent areas were expanding in the study period. Contradictory vegetation changes were mainly reflected in the opposite trends of vegetation greenness and productivity in evergreen broadleaf forests. Moreover, the inconsistency change was mainly manifested in the greenness‐dominated vegetation enhancement, without enhanced productivity. The increment difference between NPP and GPP also showed respiration losses greatly offset the effect of vegetation greenness or cover on productivity. This study provides integrated insights for understanding the inconsistency of vegetation structural and functional changes in the context of global greening.