西藏高原典型草地地上生物量遥感估算

准确估算草地地上生物量对合理规划区域畜牧业、评估草地植被的生态效益有重要意义.利用每月两次的野外调查资料和对应的MODIS植被指数,以GIS空间数据处理技术和多元统计分析方法等为手段,建立了西藏高寒草甸、高寒草原和温性草原3个典型草地类型的地上生物量遥感估算模型和方法.结果表明:MODIS植被指数更适合于高寒草甸和高寒草原的地上生物量估算,对于高寒草甸,最佳估算模型是基于归一化植被指数(normalized difference vegetation index,NDVI)的三次多项式,其相关系数为0.82;对高寒草原,则是基于增强型植被指数(enhanced vegetation index,EVI)的三次多项式,相关系数达0.83;由于温性草原存在很强的空间异质性,估算效果较其他2个草地类型差.MODIS植被指数对草地生长期鲜草生物量的估算和模拟效果要优于总地上生物量.在生长期,高寒草甸和高寒草原的鲜草生物量与植被指数之间的相关系数都大于0.8,最高达0.92;对温性草原,两者的相关系数也均大于0.67,其中,NDVI是高寒草甸和温性草原鲜草生物量估算的最佳植被指数,对高寒草原则是EVI.对同一草地类型,由于地上生物量差异较小,使得相比其他模型,线性或多项式回归模型更适合于西藏高原草地地上生物量的估算.     

基于MODIS数据的小麦生物量估算模型研究

地表生物量对农作物估产、植被长势评估具有很重要的意义。随着遥感技术的发展与应用,遥感为生物量估算提供了一种新的手段。本文以唐山市为例,利用小麦种植区的MODIS遥感影像数据和同期野外调查获得的16组32个生物量数据,对比分析了归一化植被指数(NDVI)、增强型植被指数(EVI)与小麦生物量多个回归方程的相关系数,进而建立了NDVI、EVI与小麦生物量的线性回归模型。结果显示,使用MODIS数据的植被指数能够很好地对研究区地上生物量进行估算,其中使用EVI的三次函数模型拟合精度最高,并且对每组数据进行平均处理会使模型精度进一步提高。     

草地地上生物量高精度曲面建模

草地生物量的大区域精确估算对全球变化研究和草地资源的合理利用具有重要作用。为提高草地生物量的空间模拟精度,发展了草地地上生物量的高精度曲面建模方法HASM-GB(High Accuracy Surface Modeling for Grassland Biomass),基于内蒙古草地地上生物量野外调查资料和同时期的遥感影像数据,采用HASM-GB方法对内蒙古自治区草原地上生物量空间分布进行了模拟。通过野外实测数据采用修正的Jackknifing方法对HASM-GB方法模拟结果进行了验证,结果表明模拟结果与实测数据之间具有较低的均方根误差(28.03 g/m²)和较好的相关性,相关系数为0.62。将HASM-GB方法与遥感生物量回归模型、普通克里金和回归克里金3种方法进行了精度对比,结果表明与其他3种方法相比,HASM-GB方法的模拟结果具有相对较低的平均误差、平均绝对误差、均方根误差和与测定值较高的相关系数。通过对地上生物量空间分布格局模拟结果的分析可知,由于植被指数-生物量回归模型属于非空间方法,其模拟精度很大程度上取决于主、辅变量间的相关性水平,易受植被指数数据误差的影响。普通克里金不能考虑辅助变量的作用。HASM-GB方法能够充分考虑生物量采样点和辅助变量的空间变异信息和邻域样本的空间结构特征从而提高模拟精度,其对草地地上生物量的曲面模拟能力高于回归克里金。结果表明HASM-GB可以作为模拟草地地上生物量空间分布相对有效的方法。     

Sentinel-2数据的冬小麦地上干生物量估算及评价

作物生物量快速精确的监测对于农业资源的合理利用与农田的精准管理具有重要意义。近年来,遥感技术因其独特的优势已被广泛用于作物生物量的估算中。本文主要针对不同宽波段植被指数在冬小麦生物量(文中的生物量均是指地上干生物量)估算方面的表现进行探索。首先利用欧洲空间局最新的Sentinel-2A卫星数据提取出17种常见的植被指数,之后分别构建其与相应时期内采集的冬小麦地上生物量间的最优估算模型,通过分析两者间的相关性与敏感性,获取适宜进行生物量估算的指数。最后,绘制了研究区的生物量空间分布图。结果表明,所选的植被指数均与生物量显著相关。其中,红边叶绿素指数(CI_(re))与生物量的估算精度最高(决定性系数R~2为0.83;均方根误差RMSE为180.29 g·m~(–2))。虽然相关性较高,但部分指数,如归一化差值植被指数(NDVI)等在生物量较高时会出现饱和现象,从而导致生物量的低估。而加入红边波段的指数不仅能够延缓指数的饱和趋势,而且能够提高反演精度。此外,通过敏感性分析发现,归一化差值指数和比值指数分别在作物生长的早期和中后期对生物量的变化保持较高的敏感性。由于红边比值指数(SR_(re))和MERIS叶绿素敏感指数(MTCI)在冬小麦全生长季内一直对生物量的变化保持高灵敏性,二者是生物量估算中最为稳定的指数。     

基于Google Earth Engine与机器学习的省级尺度零散分布草地生物量估算

大区域草地地上生物量估算对草地资源利用管理及全球碳循环研究具有重要意义。为高效快速地估算大区域零散分布草地地上生物量，本文选取安徽省为研究区，在谷歌地球云引擎（Google Earth Engine）平台的支撑下，通过机器学习方法建立Landsat 8 OLI及其他辅助数据与地面实测草地地上生物量之间的联系，开展了草地零散分布地区省级尺度草地地上生物量高分辨率估算，并与传统的基于归一化植被指数（NDVI）回归模型进行了比较。研究结果表明，综合利用光谱与地形因子的机器学习方法，估算零散化分布草地地上生物量的精度可以达到65%以上，其中分类回归树（CART）模型R²=0.57，预测精度为68.60%，支持向量机（SVM）模型R²=0.59，预测精度为75.74%，而使用NDVI的回归分析产生的误差较大，R²=0.37，预测精度为57.51%，因此机器学习方法相对于传统基于NDVI的回归分析具有明显优势。另外，谷歌地球云引擎平台数据来源广泛、获取方便，可以高效地实现海量影像数据的预处理及计算分析，大大提升了工作效率，与地面调查数据的结合可实现更大区域乃至全国尺度上的零散分布草地地上生物量高分辨率遥感估算。     

基于地形调节植被指数估算长汀县植被覆盖度

植被覆盖度遥感估算最常用的方法是基于植被指数构建模型,但大部分的植被指数没有考虑地形的影响。以福建省长汀县作为研究区,引入能消除地形影响的地形调节植被指数(topography adjusted vegetation index,TAVI),利用像元二分模型估算植被覆盖度,旨在研究TAVI对植被覆盖度估算结果的影响,并与基于归一化差值植被指数(normalized difference vegetation index,NDVI)估算的结果进行比较。根据目视效果和统计指标的分析表明:基于TAVI估算的植被覆盖度精度高于基于NDVI的估算结果,并能有效降低阴坡阳坡间的差异,提高阴坡区域植被覆盖度的估算精度。     

基于遥感的区域尺度森林地上生物量估算研究

森林是陆地生态系统最大的碳库,精确估算森林生物量是陆地碳循环研究的关键。首先从机载LiDAR数据中提取高度和密度统计量,采用逐步回归模型进行典型样区生物量估算;然后利用机载LiDAR数据估算的生物量作为样本数据,与多光谱遥感数据Landsat8 OLI的波段反射率及植被指数建立回归模型,实现区域尺度森林地上生物量估算。实验结果显示,机载LiDAR数据估算的鼎湖山样区生物量与地面实测生物量的相关性R2达0.81,生物量RMSE为40.85 t/ha,说明机载LiDAR点云数据的高度和密度统计量与生物量存在较高的相关性。以机载LiDAR数据估算的生物量为样本数据,结合多光谱遥感数据Landsat8 OLI估算粤西北地区的森林地上生物量,精度验证结果为:R2为0.58,RMSE为36.9 t/ha;针叶林、阔叶林和针阔叶混交林等3种不同森林类型生物量的估算结果为:R2分别为0.51(n=251)、0.58(n=235)和0.56(n=241),生物量RMSE分别为24.1 t/ha、31.3 t/ha和29.9 t/ha,估算精度相差不大。总体上看,利用遥感数据可以开展区域尺度的森林地上生物量估算,为森林固碳监测提供有力的参考数据。     

WorldView-2纹理的森林地上生物量反演

使用高空间分辨率卫星WorldView-2的多光谱遥感影像,构建植被指数和纹理因子等遥感因子与森林地上生物量的关系方程,并计算模型估测精度和均方根误差,探索高分辨率数据的光谱与纹理信息在温带森林地上生物量估测应用中的潜力。以黑龙江省凉水自然保护区温带天然林及天然次生林为研究对象,通过灰度共生矩阵(GLCM)、灰度差分向量(GLDV)及和差直方图(SADH)对高分辨率遥感影像进行纹理信息提取,并利用外业调查的74个样地地上生物量与遥感因子建立参数估计模型。提取的遥感因子包括6种植被指数(比值植被指数RVI、差值植被指数DVI、规一化植被指数NDVI、增强植被指数EVI、土壤调节植被指数SAVI和修正的土壤调节植被指数MSAVI)以及3类纹理因子(GLCM、GLDV和SADH)。为避免特征变量个数较多对估测模型造成过拟合,利用随机森林算法对提取的遥感因子进行特征选择,将最优的特征变量输入模型参与建模估测。采用支持向量回归(SVR)进行生物量建模及验证,结果显示选入模型的和差直方图均值(sadh_mean)、灰度共生矩阵方差(glcm_var)和差值植被指数(DVI)等遥感因子对森林地上生物量有较好的解释效果;植被指数+纹理因子组合的模型获得较精确的AGB估算结果(R2=0.85,RMSE=42.30 t/ha),单独使用植被指数的模型精度则较低(R~2=0.69,RMSE=61.13 t/ha)。     

结合树龄信息的遥感森林生态系统生物量制图

森林生态系统是陆地生态系统中的重要组成部分，其中的地上生物量（AGB，Aboveground Biomass）在全球气候变化和碳循环研究中起着重要的作用。本文利用ETM^＋遥感影像，首先建立了实测叶面积指数（LAI，Leaf Area Index）与实测生物量数据的回归关系，基于遥感叶面积指数图像得到初步地上生物量空间分布图；同时在短波植被指数（SWVI，Short Wave Vegetation Index）与实测树龄之间建立了回归关系，在此基础上得到了树龄空间分布图。然后通过将植被指数（VI，Vegetation Index），LAI，树龄等变量针对不同的树种类型进行逐步回归，得到了较好的回归模型，并结合土地利用／土地覆盖估算了贵州省黎平县的地上生物量，绘制了其空间分布图。统计结果显示：总体森林生态系统的AGB与LAI和RSR（Reduced Simple Ratio）之间有一定的相关关系（R^2=0．895）；杉木林的AGB与LAI和归一化植被指数（NDVI，Normalized Difference Vegetation Index）之间有较强的相关性（R^2=0．93）；针叶树种的LAI与年龄是AGB较好的估算因子（R^2=0．937）；阔叶林的AGB与年龄有一定的相关性（R^2=0．792）；混交林的AGB与LAI和SR（Simple Ratio）有较强的相关性（R^2=0．931）。结果表明，将树龄和土地覆盖／土地利用类型的信息加入到地上生物量估算模型的建立中，是一种改善利用多光谱遥感估算精度的较好的方法。结合土地覆盖／土地利用类型的高分辨率的树龄空间分布图，可为森林生态系统的可持续发展和管理提供科学的论据。     

利用不同植被指数估算植被覆盖度的比较研究

选用蔬菜地和草地2种植被类型,利用ASD光谱仪实测二者在不同覆盖度下的光谱响应,分析了归一化植被指数(NDVI)、差值植被指数(DVI)、比值植被指数(RVI)、修正植被指数(MVI)、修改型土壤调节植被指数(MSAVI)以及全球环境监测植被指数(GEMI)等6种植被指数所用的最佳波段及其组合,进而研究了利用像元二分模型估算植被覆盖度时的不同植被指数的表现.结果表明,与蔬菜地植被指数相关系数较高的波段组合为620 ～ 740 nm谱段和780 ～ 900 nm谱段内波段的组合,与草地植被指数相关系数较高的波段组合为620 ～750 nm谱段和760 ～900 nm谱段内波段的组合,相关系数均达0.8以上;在高光谱数据构建的植被指数和模拟卫星数据构建的植被指数中,用DVI和MSAVI估算植被覆盖度,平均总体精度分别达到83.7％和79.5％,与其他4种植被指数相比,这2种指数更适合于利用像元二分模型进行植被覆盖度的估算.     

不同传感器的模拟植被指数对水稻叶面积指数的估测精度和敏感性分析

本研究利用水稻冠层高光谱数据,模拟NOAA-AVHRR,Terra-MODIS和Landsat-TM的可见光波段反射率数据,计算各传感器的多种植被指数(NDVI,RVI,EVI,GNDVI,GRVI和Red-edge RVI),比较植被指数模型对水稻LAI的估测精度,分析不同植被指数对LAI变化的敏感性.相对于红波段植被指数,红边比值植被指数(Red-edge RVI)和绿波段指数GRVI与LAI有更好的线性相关关系,而GNDVI和LAI呈现更好的对数相关关系.MODIS的Red-edge RVI指数不仅模型拟合的精度最高,还有独立数据验证的估测精度也最高,而且它的验证精度较拟合精度下降幅度最小;其次是绿波段构建的GNDVI和GRVI植被指数的估测精度,再次是NDVI和EVI的估测精度,而RVI的估测精度最差.敏感性分析发现,13个植被指数对水稻LAI的估测能力都随着LAI的增加而下降,但归一化类植被指数和比值类植被指数对LAI变化反应的差异明显,归一化类植被指数在LAI较低时(LAI<1.5)对LAI变化的反应开始非常敏感,但迅速下降,而比值类植被指数在LAI较低时,明显小于归一化类植被指数,之后随着LAI的增大(LAI>1.5)比值类植被指数对LAI的变化敏感性,则明显高于归一化类植被指数.Red-edge RVI和绿波段指数GRVI和LAI不仅表现了很好的线性相关关系,而且在LAI大于2.9左右保持较高的敏感性.     

Investigating the impact of the temporal resolution of MODIS data on measured phenology in the prairie grasslands

ABSTRACT

The temporal resolution of vegetation indices (VIs) determines the details of seasonal variation in vegetation dynamics observed by remote sensing, but little has been known about how the temporal resolution of VIs affects the retrieval of land surface phenology (LSP) of grasslands. This study evaluated the impact of temporal resolution of MODIS NDVI, EVI, and per-pixel green chromatic coordinate (GCCpp) on the quality and accuracy of the estimated LSP metrics of prairie grasslands. The near-surface PheonoCam phenology data for grasslands centered over Lethbridge PhenoCam grassland site were used as the validation datasets due to the lack of in situ observations for grasslands in the Prairie Ecozone. MODIS Nadir Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF)-Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR) data from 2001 to 2017 were used to compute the time series of daily reference and to simulate 2–32 day MODIS VIs. The daily reference and simulated multi-day time series were fitted with the double logistic model, and the LSP metrics were then retrieved from the modeled daily time series separately. Comparison within satellite-based estimates showed no significant difference in the phenological metrics derived from daily reference and multi-day VIs resampled at a time step less than 18 days. Moreover, a significant decline in the ability of multi-day VIs to predict detailed temporal dynamics of daily reference VIs was revealed as the temporal resolution increased. Besides, there were a variety of trends for the onset of phenological transitions as the temporal resolution of VIs changed from 1 to 32 days. Comparison with PhenoCam phenology data presented small and insignificant differences in the mean bias error (MBE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) of grassland phenological metrics derived from daily, 8-, 10-, 14-, and 16-day MODIS VIs. Overall, this study suggested that the MODIS VIs resampled at a time step less than 18 days are favorable for the detection of grassland phenological transitions and detailed seasonal dynamics in the Prairie Ecozone.     

Herbaceous Biomass Estimation from SPOT 5 Imagery in Semiarid Rangelands of Idaho

Eight vegetation indices (VI) commonly used for above-ground biomass (AGB) estimation were derived from Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5) imagery and used to predict herbaceous AGB at a semiarid rangeland study site in southeastern Idaho. The relationship between herbaceous AGB and vegetation water content was also evaluated and as a result, a suite of water-sensitive vegetation indices (WSVI) were developed. Correlation coefficients between herbaceous AGB, VIs, and WSVIs were calculated, demonstrating that WSVIs were correlated (r ² ≥ 0.51) with vegetation water content and performed better than standard VIs in herbaceous AGB estimates within the semiarid rangelands of Idaho.     

Analysis of common canopy vegetation indices for indicating leaf nitrogen accumulations in wheat and rice

The common spectra wavebands and vegetation indices (VI) were identified for indicating leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA), and the quantitative relationships of LNA to canopy reflectance spectra were determined in both wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). The 810 and 870 nm are two common spectral wavebands indicating LNA in both wheat and rice. Among all ratio vegetation indices (RVI), difference vegetation indices (DVI) and normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) of 16 wavebands from the MSR16 radiometer, RVI (870, 660) and RVI (810, 660) were most highly correlated to LNA in both wheat and rice. In addition, the relations between VIs and LNA gave better results than relations between single wavebands and LNA in both wheat and rice. Thus LNA in both wheat and rice could be indicated with common VIs, but separate regression equations are better for LNA monitoring.     

Evaluation of SPOT imagery for the estimation of grassland biomass

In many regions, a decrease in grasslands and change in their management, which are associated with agricultural intensification, have been observed in the last half-century. Such changes in agricultural practices have caused negative environmental effects that include water pollution, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. Moreover, climate-driven changes in grassland productivity could have serious consequences for the profitability of agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of remotely sensed data with high spatial resolution to estimate grassland biomass in agricultural areas. A vegetation index, namely the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and two biophysical variables, the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the fraction of Vegetation Cover (fCOVER) were computed using five SPOT images acquired during the growing season. In parallel, ground-based information on grassland growth was collected to calculate biomass values. The analysis of the relationship between the variables derived from the remotely sensed data and the biomass observed in the field shows that LAI outperforms NDVI and fCOVER to estimate biomass (R² values of 0.68 against 0.30 and 0.50, respectively). The squared Pearson correlation coefficient between observed and estimated biomass using LAI derived from SPOT images reached 0.73. Biomass maps generated from remotely sensed data were then used to estimate grass reserves at the farm scale in the perspective of operational monitoring and forecasting.     

Combining UAV-based plant height from crop surface models,visible, and near infrared vegetation indices for biomass monitoring in barley

In this study we combined selected vegetation indices (VIs) and plant height information to estimate biomass in a summer barley experiment. The VIs were calculated from ground-based hyperspectral data and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based red green blue (RGB) imaging. In addition, the plant height information was obtained from UAV-based multi-temporal crop surface models (CSMs). The test site is a summer barley experiment comprising 18 cultivars and two nitrogen treatments located in Western Germany. We calculated five VIs from hyperspectral data. The normalised ratio index (NRI)-based index GnyLi (Gnyp et al., 2014) showed the highest correlation (R² = 0.83) with dry biomass. In addition, we calculated three visible band VIs: the green red vegetation index (GRVI), the modified GRVI (MGRVI) and the red green blue VI (RGBVI), where the MGRVI and the RGBVI are newly developed VI. We found that the visible band VIs have potential for biomass prediction prior to heading stage. A robust estimate for biomass was obtained from the plant height models (R² = 0.80–0.82). In a cross validation test, we compared plant height, selected VIs and their combination with plant height information. Combining VIs and plant height information by using multiple linear regression or multiple non-linear regression models performed better than the VIs alone. The visible band GRVI and the newly developed RGBVI are promising but need further investigation. However, the relationship between plant height and biomass produced the most robust results. In summary, the results indicate that plant height is competitive with VIs for biomass estimation in summer barley. Moreover, visible band VIs might be a useful addition to biomass estimation. The main limitation is that the visible band VIs work for early growing stages only.     

Angle effects of vegetation indices and the influence on prediction of SPAD values in soybean and maize

To study the anisotropy of vegetation indices (VIs) and explore its influence on the retrieval accuracy of canopy soil-plant analyzer development (SPAD) value, the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models of soybean and maize are calculated from the multi-angle hyperspectral images acquired by UAV, respectively. According to the reflectance extracted from the BRDF model, the dependences of 16 commonly-used VIs on observation angles are analyzed, and the SPAD values of maize and soybean canopy are predicted by using the 16 VI values at different observation angles and their combinations as input parameters. The results show that the 16 VIs have different sensitivity to angle in the principal plane: green ratio vegetation index (GRVI), ratio vegetation index (RVI), red edge chlorophyll index (CIRE), and modified chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index/optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (MCARI/OSAVI) are very sensitive to angles, among which MCARI/OSAVI of maize fluctuated the most (138.83 %); in contrast, the green optimal soil adjusted vegetation index (GOSAVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) hardly change with the observation angles. In terms of SPAD prediction, the accuracy of different VI is different, the mean absolute error (MAE) showed that MCARI1 provided the highest accuracy of retrieval for soybean (MAE=1.617), while for maize it was MCARI/OSAVI (MAE=2.422). However, when using the same VI, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of the predicted results, whether the VI from different angles was used or the combination of multi-angles was used. The present results provide guiding significance and practical value for the retrieval of SPAD value in vegetation canopies and in-depth applications of multi-angular remote sensing.     

Model selection in Bayesian framework to identify the best WorldView-2 based vegetation index in predicting green biomass of salt marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems globally but have experienced dramatic degradation and loss within the past several decades. Vegetation biomass of coastal wetlands is not only the key component of blue carbon storage but also plays an important role in vertical accretion, important for maintaining these habitats under relative sea-level rise. Remote sensing offers a cost-effective approach to study vegetation biomass at a broad spatial scale. We developed statistical models to predict peak aboveground green biomass of Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus, two dominant species of salt marshes using WorldView-2 satellite imagery at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) on the Mississippi coast in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The model accounted for nested data structures in the sampled biomass, assimilated uncertainties from data, parameters and model structures, and helped determine the best vegetation index among a variety of commonly-used indices to predict aboveground green biomass. We developed a series of mixed-effects models, which included different combinations of fixed effect(s), random intercept, and random slope(s). The fixed effects were species and one of the 60 vegetation indices derived from a WorldView-2 image obtained on 6 October 2012. The random effect used was site. We implemented the models in a Bayesian framework and selected the best model structure and vegetation index based on minimum posterior predictive loss and deviance information criterion. The results showed that the best vegetation index to predict peak green biomass was the green chlorophyll index derived from the reflectance values of band 8 (near-infrared) and band 3 (green), and its effect on biomass prediction varied among sites. The inclusion of species as a fixed effect improved the model prediction. The study demonstrated the need to account for spatial dependence of data in developing a robust model, and the importance of the second WorldView-2 near-infrared band (860–1040 nm) in predicting aboveground green biomass for the Grand Bay NERR. The analysis using mixed-effects modeling in Bayesian inference which coherently combined field and WorldView-2 data with uncertainties accounted for provides a robust and nondestructive tool for resource managers to monitor the status of coastal wetlands at a high spatial resolution in a timely manner. Through this study, we hope to emphasize the importance of appropriately accounting for nested data structures using mixed-effects models and promote wider application of Bayesian inference to facilitate assimilation of uncertainties in remote sensing applications.     

Effects of precipitation and temperature on net primary productivity and precipitation use efficiency across China’s grasslands

Net primary production (NPP) is a crucial feature of ecosystem function and structure. Furthermore, precipitation use efficiency (PUE) is a critical indicator for exploring NPP in grassland ecosystem responses to variations in precipitation and temperature. In this study, we examined the spatial patterns of NPP and PUE in China’s grasslands from 2000 to 2010 and explored the effects of environmental factors on NPP and PUE at different scales. The results showed first that the spatial distribution of NPP and PUE decreased from the northeast to southwest. NPP increased in most places across China’s grasslands; however, there was no obvious change in PUE during 2000–2010. Second, in most regions across China’s grasslands, positive and negative correlations existed between precipitation and NPP and PUE, respectively. The spatial distribution of the relationship between temperature and NPP and PUE was consistent with the relationship between precipitation with NPP and PUE. Finally, for the gradients of the various environmental factors in different regional grassland ecosystems, on the Tibetan Plateau, there were unimodal correlations between precipitation with NPP and PUE and aridity with NPP and PUE, but a positive linear correlation existed for temperature with NPP and PUE. However, in the Inner Mongolian Plateau, there were positive correlations between precipitation and NPP, temperature and NPP, and aridity and both NPP and PUE and negative correlations between precipitations and PUE and temperature and PUE. Our findings improve understanding of grassland ecosystem responses to global climate change and provide a basis for the protection of grassland ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions.