Integrative Biology Journals
Integrative Conservation

JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH ›› 2026, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (1): 1-.DOI: 10.1007/s11676-026-02014-1

• Original Paper •    

Spatiotemporal variations and hydrothermal controls in the sensitivity of vegetation productivity and ecosystem respiration to precipitation across terrestrial biomes

Weirong Zhang1, Tianshan Zha2, Xie Heng1, Wanxin Yang1, Haitao Yang1, Weilu Kang1, Jinling Zhang3, Yushi Liang4, Qianwei Li5, Chuan Jin1,2   

  1. 1Hainan Baoting Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, People’s Republic of China 

    2School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China

    3School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Danzhou 571700, People’s Republic of China 

    4College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, People’s Republic of China

    5College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572000, People’s Republic of China

  • Received:2025-09-25 Accepted:2025-11-22 Online:2026-02-14 Published:2026-01-01
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32501470; 62472216), the Hainan Provincial NaturalScience Foundation of China (425QN239; 423MS117), the Collaborative Innovation Program of Hainan University (XTCX2022STB07), and the start upfund of Hainan University (KYQD(ZR)21096).

Abstract: The sensitivity of vegetation productivity and ecosystem respiration to precipitation, namely SGPP and SER, is an intrinsic characteristic of vegetation and a key metric for understanding the variations in ecosystem carbon cycle under changing climate. Previous studies typically treat SGPP or SER independently, overlooking their potential interrelationship. Besides, beyond the direct effects of precipitation, temperature likely plays a significant role in shaping both SGPP and SER. In this study, we leveraged the FLUXNET2015 dataset to analyze the global spatiotemporal patterns of SGPP and SER, and applied a mixture regression model to investigate their hydrothermal regulations. The results showed that SGPP and SER varied greatly across biomes, with the higher values in arid ecosystems, while forest ecosystems exhibited relatively low values. Temporal analysis indicated that SGPP and SER significantly increased over time in shrubland, while SER in evergreen needleleaf forest and SER in grassland significantly increased and decreased, respectively. The relationship between SGPP and SER decoupled with increasing leaf area index, with a breakpoint occurring at 1.61 m2 m−2. Across ecosystem types, the decoupling of SGPP and SER was primarily observed in closed-canopy forests, with hydrothermal conditions identified as the key drivers of this phenomenon. Specifically, in forests, SGPP was predominantly regulated by the joint influence of temperature and precipitation, whereas SER was mainly controlled by precipitation alone. Across all ecosystems, SER shifted from being co-regulated by precipitation and temperature to predominantly precipitation-driven as mean annual precipitation (MAP) exceeded 1000 mm, while SGPP transitioned to primarily temperature-dependent above 1500 mm MAP. This study underscores how hydrothermal conditions shape the complex SGPP-SER interplay, providing critical insights for future forest ecosystem research.

Key words: Precipitation sensitivity, Vegetation productivity, Ecosystem respiration, Spatial pattern, Temporal trend, Hydrothermal control

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