Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa
Understanding the impacts of climate variability and change on terrestrial ecosystems in Africa remains a critical issue for ecology as well as for regional and global climate policy making. However, acquiring this knowledge can be useful for future predictions towards improved governance for sustai...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-01-01
|
Series: | Sustainability |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/3/1234 |
id |
doaj-9a0e98e7292c4c42a5fac7bc50eadd58 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-9a0e98e7292c4c42a5fac7bc50eadd582021-01-26T00:03:20ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502021-01-01131234123410.3390/su13031234Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in AfricaVincent Nzabarinda0Anming Bao1Wenqiang Xu2Solange Uwamahoro3Liangliang Jiang4Yongchao Duan5Lamek Nahayo6Tao Yu7Ting Wang8Gang Long9State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaSchool of Geography and Tourism, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, ChinaBinjiang College, Nanjing University of Information Engineering, Nanjing 210044, ChinaFaculty of Environmental Studies, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, 6392 Kigali, RwandaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaUnderstanding the impacts of climate variability and change on terrestrial ecosystems in Africa remains a critical issue for ecology as well as for regional and global climate policy making. However, acquiring this knowledge can be useful for future predictions towards improved governance for sustainable development. In this study, we analyzed the spatial–temporal characteristics of vegetation greenness, and identified the possible relationships with climatic factors and vulnerable plant species across Africa. Using a set of robust statistical metrics on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI3g) for precipitation and temperature over 34 years from 1982 to 2015, relevant results were obtained. The findings show that, for NDVI, the annual rate of increase (0.013 y<sup>−1</sup>) was less than that of decrease (−0.014 y<sup>−1</sup>). In contrast, climate data showed a sharper increase than a marked decrease. Temperature is increasing while rainfall is decreasing, both at a sharp rate in central Africa. In Africa, tree cover, broadleaved, deciduous, closed to open (>15%) and shrubland plant species are critically endangered. The tropical vegetation devastated by the climate variability, causes different plant species to gradually perish; some were cleared out from the areas which experienced degradation, while others were from that of improvement. This study provides valuable information to African governments in order to improve environmental sustainability and development that will lead to the sustainability of natural resources.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/3/1234climate variabilityvegetation dynamicsAfricaplant species |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Vincent Nzabarinda Anming Bao Wenqiang Xu Solange Uwamahoro Liangliang Jiang Yongchao Duan Lamek Nahayo Tao Yu Ting Wang Gang Long |
spellingShingle |
Vincent Nzabarinda Anming Bao Wenqiang Xu Solange Uwamahoro Liangliang Jiang Yongchao Duan Lamek Nahayo Tao Yu Ting Wang Gang Long Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa Sustainability climate variability vegetation dynamics Africa plant species |
author_facet |
Vincent Nzabarinda Anming Bao Wenqiang Xu Solange Uwamahoro Liangliang Jiang Yongchao Duan Lamek Nahayo Tao Yu Ting Wang Gang Long |
author_sort |
Vincent Nzabarinda |
title |
Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa |
title_short |
Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa |
title_full |
Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa |
title_fullStr |
Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessment and Evaluation of the Response of Vegetation Dynamics to Climate Variability in Africa |
title_sort |
assessment and evaluation of the response of vegetation dynamics to climate variability in africa |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2021-01-01 |
description |
Understanding the impacts of climate variability and change on terrestrial ecosystems in Africa remains a critical issue for ecology as well as for regional and global climate policy making. However, acquiring this knowledge can be useful for future predictions towards improved governance for sustainable development. In this study, we analyzed the spatial–temporal characteristics of vegetation greenness, and identified the possible relationships with climatic factors and vulnerable plant species across Africa. Using a set of robust statistical metrics on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI3g) for precipitation and temperature over 34 years from 1982 to 2015, relevant results were obtained. The findings show that, for NDVI, the annual rate of increase (0.013 y<sup>−1</sup>) was less than that of decrease (−0.014 y<sup>−1</sup>). In contrast, climate data showed a sharper increase than a marked decrease. Temperature is increasing while rainfall is decreasing, both at a sharp rate in central Africa. In Africa, tree cover, broadleaved, deciduous, closed to open (>15%) and shrubland plant species are critically endangered. The tropical vegetation devastated by the climate variability, causes different plant species to gradually perish; some were cleared out from the areas which experienced degradation, while others were from that of improvement. This study provides valuable information to African governments in order to improve environmental sustainability and development that will lead to the sustainability of natural resources. |
topic |
climate variability vegetation dynamics Africa plant species |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/3/1234 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT vincentnzabarinda assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT anmingbao assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT wenqiangxu assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT solangeuwamahoro assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT liangliangjiang assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT yongchaoduan assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT lameknahayo assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT taoyu assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT tingwang assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica AT ganglong assessmentandevaluationoftheresponseofvegetationdynamicstoclimatevariabilityinafrica |
_version_ |
1724323609018630144 |