Abstract

The reported progressive change of vegetation activity along elevational gradients has important aesthetic and conservation values. With climate change, cooler locations are suggested to warm faster than warmer ones, raising concerns of a more homogenized landscape along the elevation. Here, we use global satellite data to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of the elevational gradient (EG) in vegetation greenness (NDVImax3), spring (SOS) and autumn phenology (EOS) during 1982–2015. Although we find clear geographical patterns of the EG in NDVImax3 and SOS, there are no prevalent trends of vegetation homogenization or phenology synchronization along elevational gradients. Possible mechanisms, including spatially heterogeneous temperature lapse rate changes, different vegetation sensitivities to climate change, and human disturbances, may play diverse roles across different regions. Our finding of mixed EG trends and no general rules controlling EG dynamics poses challenges for mitigating possible adverse impacts of climate change on mountainous biological diversity and ecosystem services.

Details

Title
Divergent changes in the elevational gradient of vegetation activities over the last 30 years
Author
Gao, Mengdi 1 ; Piao, Shilong 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Chen, Anping 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Yang, Hui 1 ; Liu, Qiang 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fu, Yongshuo H 4 ; Janssens, Ivan A 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Sino- French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China 
2  Sino- French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Center for Excellence in Tibetan Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 
3  Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA 
4  College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium 
5  Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium 
Pages
1-10
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Jul 2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11035-w
ProQuest document ID
2252670201
Copyright
© 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.