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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
NDVI-based Vegetation Change and Its Response
to Hydrothermal Changes in the Yunnan-Guizhou
Plateau of Chinese Karst Regions
from 1982 to 2019
1
Guizhou Institute of Prataculture, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China
2
Guizhou Karst Grassland Agricultural Ecosystem Field Observation Station, Guiyang 550006, Guizhou, China
3
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730020, China
4
School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
Submission date: 2024-01-14
Final revision date: 2024-03-25
Acceptance date: 2025-11-28
Online publication date: 2025-12-17
Publication date: 2026-01-29
Corresponding author
Wen Zhang
Guizhou Institute of Prataculture, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China
Guizhou Institute of Prataculture, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):313-325
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study explored vegetation growth dynamics and their response to hydrothermal changes
in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, using GIMMS and MODIS NDVI datasets. The findings reveal:
(1) From 2001 to 2019, the MODIS NDVI growth rate (0.0040/a) exceeded the GIMMS NDVI rate
(0.0009/a) from 1982 to 2015. (2) The years 1995, 2013, and 1998 are inflection points for GIMMS
NDVI, MODIS NDVI, and the annual average temperature, respectively, marking shifts from negative
to positive anomalies. (3) Specifically, 56.88% of the area exhibits a significant upward trend for GIMMS
NDVI, 69.18% for MODIS NDVI, and 92.5% for the average annual temperature. However, the rainfall
trends are inconclusive. (4) Both NDVI datasets show a strong positive correlation with temperature.
However, the correlation of MODIS NDVI with temperature was weaker than that of GIMMS NDVI.
(5) Broadleaf forests (BDF), coniferous forests (NDF), and tropical monsoon rainforests (TMF)
exhibited a significant positive correlation with temperature across both NDVI datasets. In contrast,
farmland (FL), grassland (GL), and shrublands(SHR) exhibit varying relationships with temperature.
This study enhances our understanding of the interaction between vegetation and climate change on the
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, providing insights into regional ecological conservation.
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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