Impacts of Hydrothermal Factors on the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Alpine Grassland Aboveground Biomass During the Pre-, Mid-, and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Periods

Langlang Shu, Zhening Zhu, Yu Yin, Zizhi Wang, Wengui Wu, Shuqiao Zhang and Shengxi Liao ()
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Langlang Shu: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China
Zhening Zhu: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China
Yu Yin: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China
Zizhi Wang: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China
Wengui Wu: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China
Shuqiao Zhang: School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Creswick, VIC 3363, Australia
Shengxi Liao: Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650000, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Aboveground biomass (AGB) is a key parameter for studying the carbon cycle, evaluating grassland growth, and assessing the grass–livestock balance. In this study, we established an optimal inversion model for alpine grassland AGB and estimated the growing-season (July–September) AGB from 2018 to 2022 based on field survey data and remote sensing data. We aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of AGB in alpine grasslands and its response mechanisms to hydrothermal factors, as well as to explore the indirect impacts of changes in human activities during the COVID-19 pandemic on the grassland ecosystem. The results showed the following: (1) Alpine grassland AGB was high in the southwest and low in the northeast of the studied area, initially increasing and then decreasing over time. This pattern was largely consistent with the spatial distribution and interannual variations in precipitation and temperature, with a significant positive correlation being observed between precipitation and AGB, indicating that hydrothermal factors are key drivers of grassland AGB dynamics. (2) The grasslands demonstrated a trend of slight decrease in AGB overall, with some local areas showing a slight increase. Compared with before 2018, grasslands showed a gradual recovery trend, which may be related to grazing policies and conservation management measures. (3) An increase in grazing intensity in local areas decreased grassland AGB and vice versa, indicating that the restrictive measures led to changes in grazing intensity, which indirectly affected grassland AGB during the pandemic. This study reveals the general patterns of hydrothermal factors’ influence on alpine grassland AGB dynamics during the pre-, mid-, and post-COVID-19-pandemic periods, providing a scientific basis for formulating sustainable grassland management strategies.

Keywords: aboveground biomass; remote sensing; dynamic change; influencing factors; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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