Assessing vegetation response to multi-time-scale drought across inner Mongolia plateau

This study assessed the impacts of climate change in IMP by investigating vegetation responses drought in multiple timescales. Methods used included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), by annual maximum Pearson correlation (Rmax) and the corresponding month (Rmonth) of drought. Results showed that: (1) It is necessary to zone IMP when analyzing the vegetation responses to drought. (2) Rmax is significantly positive correlation in IMP, indicating that vegetation was largely influenced by drought; the most seriously affected areas are in the north-eastern part of typical steppe, south-western parts of steppe desert and southern part of desert steppe, while light seriously are distributed in the south-eastern of typical steppe and forest steppe. (3) Vegetation in typical steppe, steppe desert and desert steppe are sensitive to shorter time-scales of droughts, while in the forest, forest steppe and sand desert, vegetation shows a close relationship with the longer drought time-scales. (4) The effects of drought related climate extremes can also contribute to Rmax and Rmonth between SPEI and NDVI. Vegetation in forest and sand desert areas, have lower sensitivity to drought under the effect of climate extremes. Adaptation measures, such as building drought resilience vegetation types, applying biochar and monitoring and forecasting drought, must be timely and effectively initiated, especially, in the typical steppe, steppe desert and desert steppe in IMP since vegetation in these four areas is affected seriously, once drought occur. The results from this study may provide useful information about appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies against the inverse effects of drought on vegetation, and even alleviate the losses caused by drought.