BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Researchers have disclosed that increased atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) causes vegetation growth recession, according to a recently published study paper in the journal Science Advances.
The VPD is a critical variable in determining plant photosynthesis. The changing VPD and soil drying would likely constrain plant carbon uptake and water use in terrestrial ecosystems.
Researchers analyzed four global climate datasets and revealed that 53 to 64 percent of vegetated areas experienced increased VPD trends since the late 1990s.
In response, the vegetation greening trend indicated by a satellite-derived vegetation index was subsequently stalled or reversed, said the paper.
The VPD describes the difference between the water vapor pressure at saturation and the actual water vapor pressure for a given temperature.
The researchers predicted that the VPD would continue increasing in the coming decades.
