AUTHOR=Wang Yanji , Zhang Jiaqi , Shen Xiangjin , Ma Rong , Liu Yiwen , Wu Liyuan , Tong Shouzheng , Jiang Ming , Lu Xianguo 

TITLE=Spatiotemporal variation of marsh vegetation productivity and climatic effects in Inner Mongolia, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1138965

DOI=10.3389/fevo.2023.1138965

ISSN=2296-701X

ABSTRACT=Net primary productivity (NPP) is a vital ecological index that reflects the ecological function and carbon sequestration of marsh ecosystem. Inner Mongolia of China has a large area of marshes in China, which play a crucial role in carbon cycle in East Asia. This study explored, for the first time, the spatiotemporal variation of marsh NPP and its response to climatic change in Inner Mongolia based on the MODIS-NPP and climate datasets. We found that the long-term average annual NPP of marsh was 339.85 g•C/m2 and the marsh NPP showed a significantly increasing trend (4.44 g•C/m2/a; p＜0.01) over the Inner Mongolia during 2000–2020. Spatially, the most prominent increase trend of NPP was mainly distributed in the northeast of Inner Mongolia (Greater Khingan Mountains). The partial correlation results showed that increasing autumn and summer precipitation could increase the NPP of marsh vegetation over Inner Mongolia. Regarding the temperature effects, we observed a strong asymmetric effect of maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperature on annual NPP. A high spring Tmax could markedly increase marsh NPP, whereas a high Tmin could significantly reduce NPP in Inner Mongolia. In contrast to spring temperature effects on NPP, we found that a high summer Tmax could decrease NPP, whereas a high Tmin could increase NPP. Our results suggest different effects of seasonal climate conditions on marsh vegetation productivity and highlight the influences of day-time and night-time temperatures should be considered in simulating and predicting marsh carbon sequestration in global arid and semi-arid regions.