Tianwang et al. (2026) Developing a desertification index integrating intra-annual dynamics of vegetation cover and soil moisture

Identification

• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-16
• Authors: 雷田旺 LEI Tianwang, Chong Zhang, Chao Li, Xiangying Li
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-71674-0

Research Groups

• Institute of Desertification Studies, Inner Mongolia University
• Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Department of Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University

Short Summary

This study developed a desertification index integrating intra-annual dynamics of vegetation cover and soil moisture in Inner Mongolia. The Moisture Vegetation Normalized Difference Desertification Index (MV-NDDI) showed stable performance in capturing VC-SM relationships and distinguishing desert from non-desert areas.

Objective

• Investigate the seasonal coupling between vegetation growth and soil moisture in Inner Mongolia.
• Develop a new desertification index integrating intra-annual dynamics of vegetation cover and soil moisture.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Inner Mongolia, northern China (37°24′–53°23′ N and 97°12′–126°04′ E)
• Temporal Scale: 2001 to 2025

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) for soil moisture estimation
• Data sources: MODIS NDVI, MODIS LST, land-use data, ecological zoning data

Main Results

• The difference between growing-season maximum VC and minimum SM was strongly correlated with peak VC (r = 0.97, p < 0.01).
• Time-lag cross-correlation analysis showed that the lagged relationship between VC and SM varied among land-cover types.
• The Moisture Vegetation Normalized Difference Desertification Index (MV-NDDI) performed well in capturing VC-SM relationships and distinguishing desert from non-desert areas.

Contributions

• This study provides a new perspective on desertification assessment by integrating seasonal VC-SM dynamics.
• The developed indices may contribute to broader indicator-based ecological assessment, conservation prioritization, and spatial planning efforts.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42171019)
• Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KFZD-BR-2018-001-02)

Citation

@article{Tianwang2026Developing,
  author = {Tianwang, 雷田旺 LEI and Zhang, Chong and Li, Chao and Li, Xiangying},
  title = {Developing a desertification index integrating intra-annual dynamics of vegetation cover and soil moisture},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-71674-0},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-71674-0}
}