Zhao et al. (2026) Dynamic changes of vegetation in China under the stress of compound droughts

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-04
• Authors: Anzhou Zhao, Wei Zhang, Xianfeng Liu, Lidong Zou, S Chen
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135969

Research Groups

• School of Mining and Geomatics Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering (China)
• School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University (China)
• School of Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Polytechnic University (China)

Short Summary

This study investigates the dynamics of vegetation in China under compound drought stress, introducing a novel Standardized Compound Drought Index (SCDI) to quantify the impact. The results show that atmospheric CO2 concentration and SCDI significantly contribute to vegetation variability.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of compound droughts on vegetation dynamics in China.
• Develop a unified metric to quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of compound droughts.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: National scale, focusing on China's territory.
• Temporal Scale: 1982-2020, with future climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5) projected up to the end of the century.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Random forest modeling for analyzing vegetation dynamics.
• Data sources: Satellite data (NDVI), reanalysis products (VPD, SM).

Main Results

• NDVI in China showed a significant upward trend from 1982 to 2020, with the most pronounced increase observed in the Yellow River Basin.
• SCDI exhibited a significant increasing trend during the same period, with the strongest increase found in the Continental River Basin (CRB).
• Atmospheric CO2 concentration and SCDI contributed 31.02% and 30.30% to the variability in vegetation dynamics, respectively.

Contributions

• The study advances the understanding of vegetation responses to compound droughts.
• Provides a scientific basis for ecological restoration and regional climate adaptation strategies.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52279201).

Citation

@article{Zhao2026Dynamic,
  author = {Zhao, Anzhou and Zhang, Wei and Liu, Xianfeng and Zou, Lidong and Chen, S},
  title = {Dynamic changes of vegetation in China under the stress of compound droughts},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135969},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135969}
}