Vegetation change and its response to drought in Inner Mongolia of northern China from 1998 to 2013

Vegetation plays a significant role in global terrestrial ecosystems and in combating desertification. We analyzed vegetation change in Inner Mongolia of northern China using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) from 1998 to 2013, which is an important composite of Chinese National Ecological Security Shelter. The correlation between vegetation growth and drought quantified using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI) was also explored. Results show that vegetation in most of the study area has been rehabilitated to various degrees, especially in regions such as most of the Horqin Sandy Land, eastern Ordos Plateau, Hetao Plain, as well as the middle-northern Da Hinggan Ling Mountains. Vegetation improvement in spring was significant in most of the study area. Vegetation degradation was centrally distributed in Xilingol grassland close to the Sino-Mongolia border and abandoned croplands in Ulanqab Meng. Vegetation change trends and seasonal differences varied among different vegetation types. The biggest vegetation variation in the growing season was the belt-like distribution along those grasslands close to the precipitation isoline of 200 mm and the Sino-Mongolia border, but also variation in summer and autumn exist in obvious spatial differences between grasslands and forests. Drought largely influenced vegetation change of Inner Mongolia at 6-month scale or 12-month scale, except for forests of eastern Hunlun Buir Meng and deserts or gobi deserts of western Alxa Meng. Moreover,drought in the previous winter and early spring seasons had a lag effect on growing-season vegetation. Desert grassland was the most easily affected by drought in the study area. Anthropogenic activities have made great progress in improving local vegetation under the lasting drought background.