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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Variations
of NDVI and its Influencing Factors
During the Vegetation Growing Season
from 1999 to 2019 in Inner Mongolia
1
College of Life Sciences and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia, China
2
Key Laboratory of Biodiversity conservation and Sustainable utilization in Mongolian Plateau
for College and University of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010022, China
3
Urat Rear Banner Management Station, Mongolian Wild Donkey National Nature Reserve,
Urat 015500, Inner Mongolia, China
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2024-05-31
Final revision date: 2024-12-08
Acceptance date: 2024-12-16
Online publication date: 2025-03-17
Publication date: 2026-01-30
Corresponding author
Jinting Guo
College of Life Sciences and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia, China
College of Life Sciences and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):1229-1243
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Global climate change exerts a profound influence on regional vegetation dynamics. Investigating the
spatial and temporal variations of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) within watersheds
and its responses to climate change is essential for supporting the development and management of
regional ecological environments. This study analyzed spatial and temporal variations of NDVI during
the vegetation growing season in Inner Mongolia, along with its responses to climate change, using slope
analysis and correlation analysis. The study utilized monthly NDVI composite products from MODIS and
meteorological data spanning 1999 to 2019. The key findings are: Inner Mongolia’s spatial distribution of
average NDVI values exhibited a distinct pattern, with values decreasing progressively from northeast
to southwest. During the study period, the mean NDVI values in Inner Mongolia during the growing
season demonstrated a significant upward trend, with an average annual increase of 0.0016. Over the
21-year period, temperature trends in Inner Mongolia remained relatively stable, whereas precipitation
showed a significant increasing trend. The correlation between vegetation NDVI and climatic factors
during the growing season varied significantly across regions. Precipitation was found to have a stronger
and more consistent influence on vegetation growth compared to temperature, underscoring its pivotal
role in the region. The interannual shift in the center of gravity of average NDVI values was minimal,
predominantly confined to northeastern Inner Mongolia. These findings offer a valuable scientific basis for
Inner Mongolia’s ecological environment protection and restoration efforts.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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