Quantifying the Contribution of Driving Factors on Distribution and Change of Net Primary Productivity of Vegetation in the Mongolian Plateau

In recent years, multiple disturbances have significantly altered terrestrial ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly on the Mongolian Plateau (MP). Net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation is an essential component surface carbon cycle. As such, it characterizes state variation reflects productive capacity natural vegetation. This study revealed complex relationship between environment NPP ecologically fragile sensitive MP. The modified Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach (CASA) model was used to simulate NPP. Further, contributions topography, vegetation, soils, climate NPP’s distribution spatiotemporal were explored using geographic detector (GDM) structural equation (SEM). study’s findings indicate following: (1) NPPs for different types MP order broad-leaved forest > meadow steppe coniferous cropland shrub typical sandy land alpine desert steppe. (2) showed increasing trend during growing seasons from 2000 2019, with forests providing larger stocks. It also maintained a more stable level productivity. (3) Vegetation cover, precipitation, soil moisture, solar radiation key factors affecting spatial distribution. primarily explained by normalized difference index, radiation, type, type (-statistics = 0.86, 0.71, 0.67, 0.57, respectively); contribution temperature small 0.26), topographic had least influence distribution, as their amounted less than 0.20. (4) A SEM constructed based index (NDVI), temperature, moisture 17% 65% MP’s variations. total effects variations absolute values NDVI (0.47) precipitation (0.33) (0.16) (0.14) (0.02), mechanisms responsible differed slightly among relevant types. Overall, this can help understand offer new perspective regional ecosystem management.