Response of Photosynthetic Efficiency to Extreme Drought and Its Influencing Factors in Southwest China

Abstract

In the context of the continuous change in global climate, the frequency and intensity of drought and heatwaves are increasing. This study took the extreme drought event in southwest China in 2009/2010 as a case study. Based on the sunlight-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), we explored the effects of high-temperature weather on the photosynthetic efficiency, the vegetation responses to drought in two ecosystems, and the differences in influencing factors. The results showed a disproportionate change between the vegetation productivity represented by SIF and the greenness symbolized by the leaf area index (LAI). The response of photosynthetic efficiency to drought was significantly inequitable between the grassland and cropland. The geodetector showed that grassland ecosystems with more superficial canopy structures were more susceptible to high temperature. The correlation between the Photosynthesis efficiency index (PEI) and temperature (T) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) of the grassland ecosystem was above 0.6. This study suggests that drought exacerbates the disproportionate change between vegetation productivity and greenness, and grasslands are more vulnerable to drought. The result is helpful for ecosystem management.