Qi et al. (2026) Intensifying Flash Droughts Aggravate Vegetation Ecosystem Vulnerability in the Monsoon Region of China: Evidence From Resistance and Resilience Responses

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Identification

• Journal: Earth s Future
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-31
• Authors: Zixuan Qi, Yuchen Ye, Yanpeng Cai, Chaoxia Yuan, Qian Tan, Lian Sun, Zhifeng Yang, Guanhui Cheng
• DOI: 10.1029/2025ef006987

Research Groups

• Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Short Summary

This study developed a high-temporal-resolution framework to assess vegetation response characteristics under flash drought stress in China from 1982 to 2019. The results show increased vegetation vulnerability due to declining resistance and shifting resilience-trade-off relationships.

Objective

• Quantify the multi-dimensional attributes of vegetation response to flash droughts, including resistance, resilience, and vulnerability

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: National scale in China, with a focus on monsoon and non-monsoon regions
• Temporal Scale: 38-year period from 1982 to 2019

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Explainable machine learning models (e.g., SHAP values)
• Data sources: Satellite data, observation datasets, reanalysis products

Main Results

• Vegetation vulnerability to flash droughts in China's monsoon regions increased by 0.019 per year from 1982 to 2019.
• Average decline rate of vegetation ecosystem resistance (0.074 per year) under flash drought stress was significantly higher than the average increase rate of its resilience (0.010 per year).
• Trade-off relationship between vegetation ecosystem resistance and resilience shifted, particularly in the middle and lower Yangtze River Basin.

Contributions

• This study fills a research gap by providing a high-temporal-resolution framework to assess event-scale response characteristics of vegetation resistance, resilience, and vulnerability.
• The findings highlight the urgent need to focus on the impact of flash droughts on terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink functions in the context of global warming.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42061110103)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences' Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant No. XDA20060402)

Citation

@article{Qi2026Intensifying,
  author = {Qi, Zixuan and Ye, Yuchen and Cai, Yanpeng and Yuan, Chaoxia and Tan, Qian and Sun, Lian and Yang, Zhifeng and Cheng, Guanhui},
  title = {Intensifying Flash Droughts Aggravate Vegetation Ecosystem Vulnerability in the Monsoon Region of China: Evidence From Resistance and Resilience Responses},
  journal = {Earth s Future},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025ef006987},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025ef006987}
}