Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency in the Three-North Region of China Based on Long-Term Satellite Data

Water use efficiency (WUE), given by the ratio between organic matter production and water consumption, could be considered as a very important ecological indicator for assessing vegetation system growth conditions by combining organic matter production and water consumption. It is especially important for regional vegetation sustainable management by creating enough organic matter with restricted water supply. Furthermore, proper analysis of WUE is vital for the evaluation and future plans of ecological restoration projects in ecologically fragile regions such as the Three-North region of China. In this study, ecosystem WUE across the Three-North region of China from 2001 to 2017 was obtained, and the variation trends and major influencing factors were also analyzed. The results demonstrated that (1) the average WUE across the Three-North region of China is 0.7376 g center dot C center dot m(-2)center dot mm(-1) with an annual increase of 0.002 g center dot C center dot m(-2)center dot mm(-1)center dot y(-1); (2) the spatiotemporal variation trends of WUE are similar to those of gross primary production (GPP); and (3) in the southeastern parts of the Three-North region, the vegetation conditions are better with sustainable improvements, while in Xinjiang Province, the sustainable degradation areas are widely spread. The results of this research reveal large spatial heterogeneity of WUE, with high WUE mainly in the southeastern region with sufficient precipitation and afforestation programs. For those areas far away from this region, WUE is not satisfactory, suggesting that, for a sustainable vegetation growth, it is important to consider the water supply to maintain suitable vegetation cover. Furthermore, the results of this research are important for future ecological restoration and sustainable management of environment.