Gao et al. (2026) Differential responses of AGPP to meteorological, hydrological, and atmospheric droughts across four eco-geographical zones in the Jinsha River Basin, China

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-10
• Authors: Fan Gao, Jiya Pan, Jinliang Wang, Fengzhi Wu, Yuncheng Deng, Ma Jw, An Chen, Suling He
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110602

Research Groups

• Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University
• Southwest United Graduate School
• Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing for Universities in Yunnan
• Center for Geospatial Information Engineering and Technology of Yunnan Province
• Yunnan Minzu University
• Faculty of Economics, Yunnan Normal University

Short Summary

This study investigates the impacts of multi-dimensional droughts on vegetation carbon sinks in the Jinsha River Basin (JRB) by analyzing the dynamics of Annual Gross Primary Productivity (AGPP) and its response mechanisms to meteorological, hydrological, and atmospheric droughts. The results indicate that AGPP exhibits a significant upward trend over the past two decades, with varying responses to different drought types across four eco-geographical zones.

Objective

• Investigate the impacts of multi-dimensional droughts on vegetation carbon sinks in the JRB.
• Analyze the dynamics of Annual Gross Primary Productivity (AGPP) and its response mechanisms to meteorological, hydrological, and atmospheric droughts.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the Jinsha River Basin (JRB), a large river basin located in southwestern China.
• Temporal Scale: The study covers a period of 20 years (2001-2020).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were employed to analyze the non-linear response characteristics of AGPP to various drought drivers.
• Data sources: The study utilized multi-source data, including remote sensing datasets of AGPP and soil moisture, climate variables, and SPEI.

Main Results

• AGPP exhibits a significant upward trend over the past two decades, with varying responses to different drought types across four eco-geographical zones.
• Meteorological drought (SPEI) has a significant impact on AGPP in the semi-arid zone, while hydrological drought (SM) is more dominant in the humid zone.
• Atmospheric drought (VPD) plays a crucial role in regulating AGPP, with an optimal suitability range of 0.4-0.8 kPa and a "cliff-like" drop threshold that triggers stomatal closure.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the impacts of multi-dimensional droughts on vegetation carbon sinks in the JRB.
• The results highlight the importance of considering different drought types and their interactions with AGPP.
• The study contributes to our understanding of the complex ecohydrological mechanisms driving AGPP in large river basins.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41661144003).
• The study also received funding from the Yunnan Provincial Key Research and Development Program (Grant No. 202001AS080010).

Citation

@article{Gao2026Differential,
  author = {Gao, Fan and Pan, Jiya and Wang, Jinliang and Wu, Fengzhi and Deng, Yuncheng and Jw, Ma and Chen, An and He, Suling},
  title = {Differential responses of AGPP to meteorological, hydrological, and atmospheric droughts across four eco-geographical zones in the Jinsha River Basin, China},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110602},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110602}
}