Grassland degradation (within-state change) and desertification (state conversion from grasslands to deserts) are different states in the complex dynamic process of grassland deterioration. However, the dynamics and associated drivers of the two states have been rarely examined separately, which is critical for early warning and conservation policy making. Here, the grassland degradation and desertification in Central Asia (CA) were studied due to their evident vulnerability to climate extremes and human activities. We performed a two-step approach to identify the critical state zones first (i.e., grasslands, deserts, and the desertification zones) and then assess the vegetation dynamics within each zone. Finally, we quantified the roles of CO2 fertilization effect, climate change, climate variability, land use (LU), and anthropogenic climate change (ACC) on the vegetation dynamics in different state zones. The results showed that the areas of grasslands and sparse vegetation regions (including deserts and desertification zones) were stable from 2000 to 2020, but the trends of vegetation greenness were divergent with a reduction in grasslands and an increase in sparse vegetation regions. Furthermore, climate change and climate variability were the main driving force affecting grassland degradation in CA. Yet the vegetation greening in the desertification and desert zones was mainly driven by the rising CO2 and LU. Moreover, ACC degraded 20.63% of grasslands and sparsely vegetated lands in CA on the baseline of 2000. The results highlighted the risks of grassland degradation in CA. This study proposed a methodology to examine grassland degradation and desertification in detail and quantify the associated driving factors (especially ACC) at the pixel scale, which provided some insights on developing region-precise strategies for grassland conservation in CA and other drylands.
CIFOR-ICRAF berfokus pada tantangan-tantangan dan peluang lokal dalam memberikan solusi global untuk hutan, bentang alam, masyarakat, dan Bumi kita
Kami menyediakan bukti-bukti serta solusi untuk mentransformasikan bagaimana lahan dimanfaatkan dan makanan diproduksi: melindungi dan memperbaiki ekosistem, merespons iklim global, malnutrisi, keanekaragaman hayati dan krisis disertifikasi. Ringkasnya, kami berupaya untuk mendukung kehidupan yang lebih baik.
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CIFOR-ICRAF menerbitkan lebih dari 750 publikasi setiap tahunnya mengenai agroforestri, hutan dan perubahan iklim, restorasi bentang alam, pemenuhan hak-hak, kebijakan hutan dan masih banyak lagi – juga tersedia dalam berbagai bahasa..
CIFOR-ICRAF mendukung dampak ilmiah. Kami melakukan penelitian inovatif, memperkuat kapasitas mitra dan secara aktif terlibat dalam dialog dengan para pemangku kepentingan, menyajikan wawasan termutakhir terkait hutan, pohon, bentang alam, dan masyarakat untuk pengambilan keputusan global.
CIFOR-ICRAF berfokus pada tantangan-tantangan dan peluang lokal dalam memberikan solusi global untuk hutan, bentang alam, masyarakat, dan Bumi kita
Kami menyediakan bukti-bukti serta solusi untuk mentransformasikan bagaimana lahan dimanfaatkan dan makanan diproduksi: melindungi dan memperbaiki ekosistem, merespons iklim global, malnutrisi, keanekaragaman hayati dan krisis disertifikasi. Ringkasnya, kami berupaya untuk mendukung kehidupan yang lebih baik.
CIFOR–ICRAF achieves science-driven impact. We conduct innovative research, strengthen partners’ capacity and actively engage in dialogue with all stakeholders, bringing the latest insights on forests, trees, landscapes and people to global decision making.
CIFOR–ICRAF publishes over 750 publications every year on agroforestry, forests and climate change, landscape restoration, rights, forest policy and much more – in multiple languages.
CIFOR–ICRAF addresses local challenges and opportunities while providing solutions to global problems for forests, landscapes, people and the planet.
We deliver actionable evidence and solutions to transform how land is used and how food is produced: conserving and restoring ecosystems, responding to the global climate, malnutrition, biodiversity and desertification crises. In short, improving people’s lives.
