Temperature sensitivities of vegetation indices and aboveground biomass are primarily linked with warming magnitude in high-cold grasslands

Abstract

Incessant argument on whether temperature sensitivity of aboveground biomass is primarily linked with temperature itself (local air temperature and increased magnitudes in air temperature) or other environmental variables restrains our capability to exactly forecast upcoming alterations in grass yield and high-quality development of animal husbandry in high-cold areas. Consequently, since May 2010, a field warming trial with open-top containers was achieved in high-cold grasslands at three elevations (i.e. 4313, 4513 and 4693 m) of the Tibet. The temperature sensitivities of normalized different vegetation indices (Q1_NDVI), soil adjusted vegetation indices (Q1_SAVI) and aboveground biomass (Q1_AGB) were detected in 2014-2015 and 2017-2018. Temperature itself had the greatest exclusive impacts on the Q1_NDVI, Q1_SAVI and Q1_AGB. Vegetation indices itself or aboveground biomass itself had the second greatest exclusive impacts on the Q1_NDVI, Q1_SAVI or Q1_AGB. The exclusive impact of vegetation indices itself or aboveground biomass itself was less than one-tenth that of temperature itself. Water availability and elevation & duration (elevation and warming length) only had exclusive impacts on the Q1_NDVI and Q1_SAVI. The total exclusive impact of water availability and elevation & duration on the Q1_NDVI or Q1_SAVI was around 11-12 % equivalent to that of temperature itself. Vegetation indices/aboveground biomass itself, water availability and elevation & duration had interactive impacts with temperature itself on the Q1_NDVI, Q1_SAVI or Q1_AGB. Compared to local air temperature, increased magnitudes in air temperature had the greater exclusive effects on the Q1_NDVI, Q1_SAVI and Q1_AGB. Consequently, temperature sensitivities of vegetation indices, and aboveground biomass were primarily linked with temperature itself (especially warming magnitude), and adjusted by water availability, vegetation indices/aboveground biomass itself, elevation and warming length in high-cold grasslands of the Tibet.

Keywords: Aboveground plant production; Climate warming; High-cold regions; Temperature sensitivity; Tibetan Plateau.