Growing Season Precipitation Rather than Growing Season Length Predominates Maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Alpine Grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Precipitation and growing season length (GSL) are vital abiotic and biotic variables in controlling vegetation productivity in alpine regions. However, their relative effects on vegetation productivity have not been fully understood. In this study, we examined the responses of the maximum normalized difference vegetation index (NDVImax) to growing season precipitation (GSP) and GSL from 2000 to 2013 in 36 alpine grassland sites on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results indicated that NDVImax showed a positive relationship with prolonged GSL (R2 = 0.12) and GSP (R2 = 0.39). The linear slope of NDVImax increased with that of GSP rather than GSL. Therefore, GSP had a stronger effect on NDVImax than did GSL in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau.