Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of vegetation productivity uncovered for GBA outer ecological barrier
image: The spatiotemporal dynamics of NPP were evaluated for the ecological barrier of GBA, utilizing vegetation remote sensing, land use, and meteorological data. Results revealed that the vegetation NPP in the ecological barrier was 2.29 times that of the core area of GBA, highlighting its critical ecological function.
Credit: Zhuang, Wei, Sihui Qiu, Chuanzhun Sun, Ying-Ping Wang, Jun Jiang, and Junhua Yan.
Date: June 12, 2026
Guangzhou, China: Vegetation net primary production (NPP) is a core indicator reflecting ecosystem health and carbon sequestration capacity. A team conducted a comprehensive study on the GBA outer ecological barrier, a critical defensive zone for regional ecological security, by analyzing multi-source remote sensing, land use and meteorological datasets from 2001 to 2022.
The research divided the study area into four subregions and found that the overall NPP of the ecological barrier was 2.29 times higher than that of the GBA core Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, proving its irreplaceable ecological value. Spatially, the Eastern zone boasted the highest NPP thanks to superior light, temperature and precipitation conditions. However, rising population density triggered partial NPP decline here. The northern West zone acted as an ecological weak point due to low precipitation and historical open-pit mining. Encouragingly, ecological restoration and green mining projects have effectively lifted its vegetation productivity, accompanied by decreasing population density.
At the interannual scale, leaf area index (LAI) and total solar radiation served as the dominant factors regulating NPP dynamics, while annual temperature exerted limited influence. Population density showed a negative correlation with NPP, especially in the Eastern zone. From land use perspective, forest land dominated the study area, yet ecological land proportion slightly decreased over two decades, with construction land expanding moderately.
The research also pointed out the fragmentation of scattered protected areas in this region. To enhance ecological resilience, the team proposed converting abandoned farmland and mining lands into near-natural vegetation, and integrating isolated protected areas into a connected ecological network. This work provides solid data and targeted strategies for ecological conservation and the dual-carbon goals of the GBA.
This study, published in the journal Biological Diversity (https://doi.org/10.1002/bod2.70013), has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and other funding bodies.
About the Author
Wei Zhuang (First author), PhD in Ecology. He earned his degree from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS. Now he serves at the Ecology Center, Guangdong Institute of Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. (under Guangdong Guangye Inspection & Testing Group), focusing on R&D of ecological restoration technologies.
Jun Jiang (Corresponding author), Associate Professor, Master Supervisor, South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He studies terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycles under global change by combining controlled experiments and big data analysis. His main research directions cover forest soil acidification, carbon sequestration, ecosystem N/P limitation, and plant acclimation to environmental changes.
Junhua Yan (Corresponding author), Professor, PhD Supervisor, South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, he currently acts as Director and Party Secretary of SCBG, CAS. His key achievements include innovative approaches for belowground carbon sequestration and new mechanisms of carbon cycling in monsoon areas, with findings on carbon dynamics in China’s tropics and subtropics.
About the Journal
Biological Diversity (ISSN: 2994-4139) is a peer-reviewed, international, open-access journal sponsored by the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and published in partnership with John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Launched in 2024 and issued quarterly, it is dedicated to advancing biodiversity conservation, safeguarding ecosystem functions and services, and promoting the sustainable utilization of biological resources under global environmental change. The journal welcomes original research, reviews, commentaries, and short communications across a broad spectrum of disciplines, including botany, zoology, microbiology, taxonomy, phylogenetics, genomics, cytology, ecology, climatology, economics, sociology, and real-time policy theory.