Ren et al. (2026) Asymmetric response of spring phenology to daytime and nighttime temperature and associated feedbacks on the Mongolian Plateau

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-23
• Authors: Jinyuan Ren, Siqin Tong, Gang Bao, Altantuya Dorjsuren, Sainbuyan Bayarsaikhan, X Li, Zhengyi Bao, Lianxiao, Xiaojun Huang, Yuhai Bao
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111313

Research Groups

• College of Geographical Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China
• Key Laboratory of Mongolian Plateau Geographical Research, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot, China
• Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Department of Geography, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• College of Science, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China
• College of Artificial Intelligence, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China
• Tourism College, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, China

Short Summary

This study investigates the asymmetric responses of spring phenology to daytime and nighttime temperature variations on the Mongolian Plateau. The results show that SOS tends to be delayed after 2010, with a stronger influence of nighttime temperature on SOS than daytime temperature.

Objective

• Investigate the relationship between start of season (SOS) and diurnal temperature variability.
• Quantify the asymmetric responses of spring phenology to daytime and nighttime temperatures variations.
• Evaluate the associated biophysical feedback pathways of SOS.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study area covers the Mongolian Plateau, a region in northern China characterized by a temperate continental climate with long cold winters and short warm summers.
• Temporal Scale: The study period spans 41 years (1982-2022).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data were derived from the AVHRR GIMMS-3G+ Global Vegetation Greenness dataset. Hourly temperature records from ERA5-Land were used as the primary temperature data source.
• Data sources: NDVI, temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, and related data were obtained from various sources, including satellite and reanalysis datasets.

Main Results

• SOS tends to be delayed after 2010, with a stronger influence of nighttime temperature on SOS than daytime temperature.
• The preseason window for each temperature driver was identified, with mean preseason length being 75.74 days for daytime temperature and 57.42 days for nighttime temperature.
• Partial correlation analysis showed that nighttime temperature is positively associated with SOS across most of the region.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into phenology-mediated climate feedbacks and improves our understanding of ecosystem responses to ongoing asymmetric warming in arid and semi-arid regions.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering diurnal temperature variations when studying spring phenology and its effects on climate.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41571017) and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology Fund (Grant No. 2020-HZ-001).

Citation

@article{Ren2026Asymmetric,
  author = {Ren, Jinyuan and Tong, Siqin and Bao, Gang and Dorjsuren, Altantuya and Bayarsaikhan, Sainbuyan and Li, X and Bao, Zhengyi and Lianxiao and Huang, Xiaojun and Bao, Yuhai},
  title = {Asymmetric response of spring phenology to daytime and nighttime temperature and associated feedbacks on the Mongolian Plateau},
  journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111313},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111313}
}