Divergent environmental drivers of meadow and steppe productivity in the overlapping area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau

Divergent environmental drivers of meadow and steppe productivity in the overlapping area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 27 March 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Divergent environmental drivers of meadow and steppe productivity in the overlapping area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau Authors : Xiaoyu Zou , Jianzhou Wei , Qigang Cai , Yuting Zhao , Kai Zheng 0000-0003-3594-9980 [email protected] , and Mingbin Huang Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177459156.69309681/v1 127 views 68 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Meadow and steppe ecosystems in the overlapping area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau (OQLP) are vital to global carbon cycling and ecological security. However, the driving mechanisms underlying the dynamics of meadow and steppe productivity under a shared climatic context remain unclear, limiting our understanding of their patterns of change. Herein, an entropy-weighted integrated productivity index (IPI) was developed using 1-km MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and net primary productivity (NPP) products (2000–2023) accompanied by 153 field biomass plots. Random forest, variation partitioning, and confirmatory path analysis (CPA) modeling were applied to disentangle the key climatic, soil, and topographic drivers and potential mechanisms. Results showed significant increases over time in both NDVI (slope = 0.0023) and NPP (slope = 6.15 gC m-2 yr-1) across the OQLP, with spatial heterogeneity marked by greater improvements in central valleys and mountainous areas. Random forest models showed growing season climate factors (precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration) explained 58 to 63% of productivity variations in the meadow and steppe, respectively, indicating these were the dominant drivers. However, ecosystem-specific differences emerged: meadow productivity was strongly influenced by soil pH and topography whereas steppe productivity was more sensitive to soil physicochemical properties (e.g., texture, cation exchange capacity) and non-growing season temperatures. Variation partitioning indicated the growing season climate accounted for the largest unique variance (~28% in meadows), while path analysis demonstrated more complex causal pathways in meadows (eight significant paths) than in steppes (six paths). These findings highlight the need for ecosystem-specific management strategies that account for distinct environmental sensitivities in the face of climate change. Supplementary Material File (manuscript.docx) Download 2.87 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 27 March 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecological experiment ecosystem ecosystem ecology in silico method development terrestrial Authors Affiliations Xiaoyu Zou Northwest A&F University View all articles by this author Jianzhou Wei Gansu Agricultural University View all articles by this author Qigang Cai Qinghai University View all articles by this author Yuting Zhao Qinghai University View all articles by this author Kai Zheng 0000-0003-3594-9980 [email protected] Qinghai University View all articles by this author Mingbin Huang Northwest A&F University View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 127 views 68 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Xiaoyu Zou, Jianzhou Wei, Qigang Cai, et al. Divergent environmental drivers of meadow and steppe productivity in the overlapping area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau. Authorea . 27 March 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177459156.69309681/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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