Aridification enhancing vegetation sensitivities to soil and atmospheric dryness in northern East Asia

Intensified water stress driven by greenhouse gas-induced warming plays a pivotal role in regulating terrestrial vegetation growth across arid-to-humid transition zones, with significant implications for the global carbon cycle. However, the shifting sensitivity of the vegetation productivity to a warming climate remain poorly understood. Since the early 2000s, Northern East Asia (NEA) has experienced pronounced reductions in gross primary production (GPP), primarily attributed to notable soil moisture (SM) decreases and water vapor deficit (VPD) increases. Our findings demonstrate distinct ecosystem responses along aridity gradients: vegetation growth in arid regions is predominantly influenced by SM, while VPD exerts a stronger influence in semi-arid to humid zones under warming and drying conditions. These results highlight the complex and regionally varied responses of vegetation dynamics across aridity gradients. As climate variability intensifies and drylands expand, understanding these sensitivities becomes essential for predicting ecosystem vulnerability and assessing vegetation responses to future climate scenarios.