Assessment of changes in the state of the rangelands of Inner Mongolia, China between 1998 and 2007 using remotely sensed data
Z. M. Hu A B , S. G. Li A D , J. W. Dong B C and J. W. Fan BA Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
B Key Laboratory of Resources Remote Sensing and Digital Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100081, China.
C Department of Botany and Microbiology, Centre for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 73019-5300, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: lisg@igsnrr.ac.cn
The Rangeland Journal 34(1) 103-109 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ11055
Submitted: 7 September 2011 Accepted: 9 January 2012 Published: 17 February 2012
Abstract
The spatial annual patterns of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and precipitation-use efficiency (PUE) of the rangelands of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, a region in which several projects for ecosystem restoration had been implemented, are described for the years 1998–2007. Remotely sensed normalised difference vegetation index and ANPP data, measured in situ, were integrated to allow the prediction of ANPP and PUE in each 1 km2 of the 12 prefectures of Inner Mongolia. Furthermore, the temporal dynamics of PUE and ANPP residuals, as indicators of ecosystem deterioration and recovery, were investigated for the region and each prefecture. In general, both ANPP and PUE were positively correlated with mean annual precipitation, i.e. ANPP and PUE were higher in wet regions than in arid regions. Both PUE and ANPP residuals indicated that the state of the rangelands of the region were generally improving during the period of 2000–05, but declined by 2007 to that found in 1999. Among the four main grassland-dominated prefectures, the recovery in the state of the grasslands in the Erdos and Chifeng prefectures was highest, and Xilin Gol and Chifeng prefectures was 2 years earlier than Erdos and Hunlu Buir prefectures. The study demonstrated that the use of PUE or ANPP residuals has some limitations and it is proposed that both indices should be used together with relatively long-term datasets in order to maximise the reliability of the assessments.
Additional keywords: aboveground net primary productivity, Inner Mongolia, land degradation, precipitation-use efficiency, temperate grasslands, vegetation restoration.
References
Akiyama, T., and Kawamura, K. (2007). Grassland degradation in China: methods of monitoring, management and restoration. Grassland Science 53, 1–17.| Grassland degradation in China: methods of monitoring, management and restoration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bai, Y. F., Wu, J. G., Xing, Q., Pan, Q. M., Huang, J. H., Yang, D. L., and Han, X. G. (2008). Primary production and rain use efficiency across a precipitation gradient on the Mongolia plateau. Ecology 89, 2140–2153.
| Primary production and rain use efficiency across a precipitation gradient on the Mongolia plateau.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ding, G. D., Zhao, T. N., Fan, J. Y., and Du, H. (2004). Analysis on development of desertification assessment indicator system. Journal of Beijing Forest University 26, 92–96.
Diouf, A., and Lambin, E. F. (2001). Monitoring land-cover changes in semi-arid regions: remote sensing data and field observations in the Ferlo, Senegal. Journal of Arid Environments 48, 129–148.
| Monitoring land-cover changes in semi-arid regions: remote sensing data and field observations in the Ferlo, Senegal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Evans, J., and Geerken, R. (2004). Discrimination between climate and human-induced dryland degradation. Journal of Arid Environments 57, 535–554.
| Discrimination between climate and human-induced dryland degradation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fan, J. W., Zhong, H. P., Harris, W., Yu, G. R., Wang, S. Q., Hu, Z. M., and Yue, Y. Z. (2008). Carbon storage in the grasslands of China based on field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass. Climatic Change 86, 375–396.
| Carbon storage in the grasslands of China based on field measurements of above- and below-ground biomass.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhsVKgsrbF&md5=cbc36f314746b0da056070df68b50bc6CAS |
Holm, A. M., Cridland, S. W., and Roderick, M. L. (2003). The use of time-integrated NOAA NDVI data and rainfall to assess landscape degradation in the arid shrubland of Western Australia. Remote Sensing of Environment 85, 145–158.
| The use of time-integrated NOAA NDVI data and rainfall to assess landscape degradation in the arid shrubland of Western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hu, Z. M., Fan, J. W., Zhong, H. P., and Yu, G. R. (2007). Spatio-temporal dynamics of above-ground primary productivity along a precipitation gradient in Chinese temperate grassland. Science in China Series D – Earth Sciences 50, 754–764.
| Spatio-temporal dynamics of above-ground primary productivity along a precipitation gradient in Chinese temperate grassland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hu, Z. M., Yu, G. R., Fu, Y. L., Sun, X. M., Li, Y. N., Shi, P. L., Wang, Y. F., and Zheng, Z. M. (2008). Effects of vegetation control on ecosystem water-use efficiency within and among four grassland ecosystems in China. Global Change Biology 14, 1609–1619.
| Effects of vegetation control on ecosystem water-use efficiency within and among four grassland ecosystems in China.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hu, Z. M., Yu, G. R., Fan, J. W., Zhong, H. P., Wang, S. Q., and Li, S. G. (2010). Precipitation-use efficiency along a 4500-km grassland transect. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, 842–851.
| Precipitation-use efficiency along a 4500-km grassland transect.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huxman, T. E., Smith, M. D., Fay, P. A., Knapp, A. K., Shaw, M. R., Loik, M. E., Smith, S. D., Tissue, D. T., Zak, J. C., Weltzin, J. F., Pockman, W. T., Sala, O. E., Haddad, B. M., Harte, J., Koch, G. W., Schwinning, S., Small, E. E., and Williams, D. G. (2004). Convergence across biomes to a common rain-use efficiency. Nature 429, 651–654.
| Convergence across biomes to a common rain-use efficiency.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXks1Kls7k%3D&md5=b37ec690e661ec9067f00c7a6b0607e3CAS |
Jiang, G. M., Han, X. G., and Wu, J. G. (2006). Restoration and management of the Inner Mongolia grasslands require a sustainable strategy. Ambio 35, 269–270.
| Restoration and management of the Inner Mongolia grasslands require a sustainable strategy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jobbágy, E. G., and Sala, O. E. (2000). Controls of grass and shrub above-ground production in the Patagonian steppe. Ecological Applications 10, 541–549.
| Controls of grass and shrub above-ground production in the Patagonian steppe.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Knapp, A. K., and Smith, M. D. (2001). Variation among biomes in temporal dynamics of above-ground primary production. Science 291, 481–484.
| Variation among biomes in temporal dynamics of above-ground primary production.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXlslensg%3D%3D&md5=216ba696a406337200828e8ad1cb0e0eCAS |
Lasaponara, R. (2006). On the use of principal component analysis (PCA) for evaluating inter-annual vegetation anomalies from SPOT/VEGETATION NDVI temporal series. Ecological Modelling 194, 429–434.
| On the use of principal component analysis (PCA) for evaluating inter-annual vegetation anomalies from SPOT/VEGETATION NDVI temporal series.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lauenroth, W. K., and Sala, O. E. (1992). Long-term forage production of North-American shortgrass steppe. Ecological Applications 2, 397–403.
| Long-term forage production of North-American shortgrass steppe.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lauenroth, W. K., Burke, I. C., and Paruelo, J. M. (2000). Patterns of production and precipitation-use efficiency of winter wheat and native grasslands in the central Great Plains of the United States. Ecosystems 3, 344–351.
| Patterns of production and precipitation-use efficiency of winter wheat and native grasslands in the central Great Plains of the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Le Houérou, H. N. (1984). Rain use efficiency: a unifying concept in arid land ecology. Journal of Arid Environments 7, 213–247.
Paruelo, J. M., Lauenroth, W. K., Burke, I. C., and Sala, O. E. (1999). Grassland precipitation-use efficiency varies across a resource gradient. Ecosystems 2, 64–68.
| Grassland precipitation-use efficiency varies across a resource gradient.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Prince, S. D., De Colstoun, E. B., and Kravitz, L. L. (1998). Evidence from rain-use efficiencies does not indicate extensive Sahelian desertification. Global Change Biology 4, 359–374.
| Evidence from rain-use efficiencies does not indicate extensive Sahelian desertification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sala, O. E., Parton, W. J., Joyce, L. A., and Lauenroth, W. K. (1988). Primary production of the central grassland region of the United-States. Ecology 69, 40–45.
| Primary production of the central grassland region of the United-States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scurlock, J. M. O., Johnson, K., and Olson, R. J. (2002). Estimating net primary productivity from grassland biomass dynamics measurements. Global Change Biology 8, 736–753.
| Estimating net primary productivity from grassland biomass dynamics measurements.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Telesca, L., and Lasaponara, R. (2006). Quantifying intra-annual persistent behaviour in SPOT-VEGETATION NDVI data for Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Italy. Remote Sensing of Environment 101, 95–103.
| Quantifying intra-annual persistent behaviour in SPOT-VEGETATION NDVI data for Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Italy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wang, X. H., Li, Z. Y., and Gao, Z. H. (2008). Studies on remote sensing monitoring of andification. Scientia Silvae Sinicae (Forest Science in China) 44, 90–96.
Wessels, K. J., Prince, S. D., Malherbe, J., Small, J., Frost, P. E., and Van Zyl, D. (2007). Can human-induced land degradation be distinguished from the effects of rainfall variability? A case study in South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 68, 271–297.
| Can human-induced land degradation be distinguished from the effects of rainfall variability? A case study in South Africa.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yu, G., He, H., and Liu, X. (2004). Study on spatialization technology of terrestrial eco-information in China (I): the approach of spatialization in meteorology/climate information. Journal of Natural Resources 19, 537–544.
Zhang, K., Guo, N., Wang, R., Wang, X., and Wang, J. (2008). Benefit monitor of retrieving grassland from grazing by remote sensing in natural grassland of Gansu province – taking the desert grassland of Anxi county as an example. Pratacultural Science 25, 29–35.
Zhuo, L., Cao, X., Chen, J., Chen, Z. X., and Shi, P. J. (2007). Assessment of grassland ecological restoration project in Xilin Gol grassland. Acta Geographica Sinica 62, 471–480.
