Terrestrial growth in China and its relationship with climate based on the MODIS data

The characteristics of terrestrial growth in China and its relationship with various climatic factors (e.g. temperature, precipitation and radiation) were investigated by using the data collected with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). These data were collected once every 8 days during 2000–2003 and then again in 2005. The average annual gross primary production (GPP) in China during this period ranged from 0 to 3252.6 gC·m−2·a−1 with an average value of 491.1 gC·m−2·a−1. The maximum GPP values were observed over the regions of Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan, and the southeast coastal areas, while the minimum values were observed in the cold and arid regions of the Tibetan Plateau, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Correlation analysis showed that temperature was the primary factor influencing this terrestrial growth, while precipitation played a secondary role. However, only the terrestrial growth that occurred in southern China was affected by radiation. The correlation coefficients of GPP with temperature and precipitation decreased from northern to southern China and were negatively correlated with the distribution of the associated climatic factors within China. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient of GPP with cloud contents was observed to increase from northern to southern China.