The Relationship between NDVI and Climate Factors at Different Monthly Time Scales: A Case Study of Grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China (1982–2015)

Zhifang Pei, Shibo Fang, Wunian Yang, Lei Wang, Mingyan Wu, Qifei Zhang, Wei Han and Dao Nguyen Khoi
Additional contact information
Zhifang Pei: College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Shibo Fang: State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Wunian Yang: College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Lei Wang: State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Mingyan Wu: College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Qifei Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Wei Han: Shandong General Station of Agricultural Technology Extension, Jinan 250013, China
Dao Nguyen Khoi: Faculty of Environment, University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 24, 1-17

Abstract: There are currently only two methods (the within-growing season method and the inter-growing season method) used to analyse the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)–climate relationship at the monthly time scale. What are the differences between the two methods, and why do they exist? Which method is more suitable for the analysis of the relationship between them? In this study, after obtaining NDVI values (GIMMS NDVI3g) near meteorological stations and meteorological data of Inner Mongolian grasslands from 1982 to 2015, we analysed temporal changes in NDVI and climate factors, and explored the difference in Pearson correlation coefficients (R) between them via the above two analysis methods and analysed the change in R between them at multiple time scales. The research results indicated that: (1) NDVI was affected by temperature and precipitation in the area, showing periodic changes, (2) NDVI had a high value of R with climate factors in the within-growing season, while the significant correlation between them was different in different months in the inter-growing season, (3) with the increase in time series, the value of R between NDVI and climate factors showed a trend of increase in the within-growing season, while the value of R between NDVI and precipitation decreased, but then tended toward stability in the inter-growing season, and (4) when exploring the NDVI–climate relationship, we should first analyse the types of climate in the region to avoid the impacts of rain and heat occurring during the same period, and the inter-growing season method is more suitable for the analysis of the relationship between them.

Keywords: NDVI; climate factor; within-growing season; inter-growing season; Inner Mongolian grassland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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