Assessing ecological vulnerability in western China based on Time-Integrated NDVI data

Arid and semi-arid areas are the most vulnerable regions to climate change.Clear understanding of the effects of climate change on ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions and the ecosystem vulnerability is important for ecosystem management under the background of climate change.In this study,we conducted a vulnerability assessment on various ecosystems from 1982 to 2013 in western China with large areas of arid and semi-arid lands based on the Time-Integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(TINDVI)data and climate data.The results indicated that grasslands were the most vulnerable ecosystem to climate change in western China,especially for those in Tibetan Plateau.Croplands in oases were not vulnerable to climate change compared to rain-fed croplands in semi-arid regions(e.g.Gansu and Inner Mongolia),which was attributed to the well-developed drip irrigation technology in oases.Desert and Gobi ecosystems were slightly vulnerable to climate change during the past several decades.The assessment results,as revealed in this study,can provide a reference for taking appropriate actions to protect the ecosystems in western China.     

Can climate change influence agricultural GTFP in arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China?

There are eight provinces and autonomous regions (Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Shanxi Province, and Shaanxi Province) in Northwest China, most areas of which are located in arid and semi-arid regions (northwest of the 400 mm precipitation line), accounting for 58.74% of the country's land area and sustaining approximately 7.84×10⁶ people. Because of drought conditions and fragile ecology, these regions cannot develop agriculture at the expense of the environment. Given the challenges of global warming, the green total factor productivity (GTFP), taking CO₂ emissions as an undesirable output, is an effective index for measuring the sustainability of agricultural development. Agricultural GTFP can be influenced by both internal production factors (labor force, machinery, land, agricultural plastic film, diesel, pesticide, and fertilizer) and external climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration). In this study, we used the Super-slacks-based measure (Super-SBM) model to measure agricultural GTFP during the period 2000-2016 at the regional level. Our results show that the average agricultural GTFP of most provinces and autonomous regions in arid and semi-arid regions underwent a fluctuating increase during the study period (2000-2016), and the fluctuation was caused by the production factors (input and output factors). To improve agricultural GTFP, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Gansu should reduce agricultural labor force input; Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Shanxi should decrease machinery input; Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Shanxi should reduce fertilizer input; Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia should reduce diesel input; Xinjiang and Gansu should decrease plastic film input; and Gansu, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia should cut pesticide input. Desirable output agricultural earnings should be increased in Qinghai and Tibet, and undesirable output (CO₂ emissions) should be reduced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Shaanxi. Agricultural GTFP is influenced not only by internal production factors but also by external climate factors. To determine the influence of climate factors on GTFP in these provinces and autonomous regions, we used a Geographical Detector (Geodetector) model to analyze the influence of climate factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration) and identify the relationships between different climate factors and GTFP. We found that temperature played a significant role in the spatial heterogeneity of GTFP among provinces and autonomous regions in arid and semi-arid regions. For Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet, a suitable average annual temperature would be in the range of 7°C-9°C; for Gansu, Shanxi, and Ningxia, it would be 11°C-13°C; and for Shaanxi, it would be 15°C-17°C. Stable climatic conditions and more efficient production are prerequisites for the development of sustainable agriculture. Hence, in the agricultural production process, reducing the redundancy of input factors is the best way to reduce CO₂ emissions and to maintain temperatures, thereby improving the agricultural GTFP. The significance of this study is that it explores the impact of both internal production factors and external climatic factors on the development of sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, identifying an effective way forward for the arid and semi-arid regions of Northwest China.     

近40a中国北方降水量与蒸发量变化

利用我国北方1951-1990年年降水量、年蒸发量、年平均风速和太阳辐射等资料,计算了干燥度指数,并据其将我国划分为干旱区(D<0.20),半干旱区(0.20～0.50),湿润区(D>0.50)。近40a我国半干旱区降水量和蒸发量发生了巨大变化,区域差异显著,年代际特征明显。东北区和华北区降水量具有减少趋势,西北东部和西南区有增加趋势。至于蒸发量的变化,东北区具有增加趋势,华北区、西北东部和西南区有减少趋势。近40a我国干旱半干旱区降水量与蒸发量均在减小,但降水量的减小速度大于蒸发量,气候在变干。我国气候的干湿变化主要取决于降水量的变化。     

Influence of non-stationarity and auto-correlation of climatic records on spatio-temporal trend and seasonality analysis in a region with prevailing arid and semi-arid climate,Iran

Trend and stationarity analysis of climatic variables are essential for understanding climate variability and provide useful information about the vulnerability and future changes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, various climatic zones of Iran were investigated to assess the relationship between the trend and the stationarity of the climatic variables. The Mann-Kendall test was considered to identify the trend, while the trend free pre-whitening approach was applied for eliminating serial correlation from the time-series. Meanwhile, time series stationarity was tested by Dickey-Fuller and Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin tests. The results indicated an increasing trend for mean air temperature series at most of the stations over various climatic zones, however, after eliminating the serial correlation factor, this increasing trend changes to an insignificant decreasing trend at a 95% confidence level. The seasonal mean air temperature trend suggested a significant increase in the majority of the stations. The mean air temperature increased more in northwest towards central parts of Iran that mostly located in arid and semi-arid climatic zones. Precipitation trend reveals an insignificant downward trend in most of the series over various climatic zones; furthermore, most of the stations follow a decreasing trend for seasonal precipitation. Furthermore, spatial patterns of trend and seasonality of precipitation and mean air temperature showed that the northwest parts of Iran and margin areas of the Caspian Sea are more vulnerable to the changing climate with respect to the precipitation shortfalls and warming. Stationarity analysis indicated that the stationarity of climatic series influences on their trend; so that, the series which have significant trends are not static. The findings of this investigation can help planners and policy-makers in various fields related to climatic issues, implementing better management and planning strategies to adapt to climate change and variability over Iran.     

Effects of climate change on phenology and primary productivity in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia

 Variations in temperature and precipitation affect local ecosystems. Considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity exists in arid ecosystems such as desert steppes. We analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of climate and vegetation phenology in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, China, using meteorological data from 11 stations (1961–2010) and phenology data from 6 ecological stations (2004–2012). We also estimated the gross primary production for the period of 1982–2009 and found that the annual mean temperature increased at a rate of 0.47ºC/decade during 1961–2010, with the last 10 years being consistently warmer than the 50-year mean. The most significant warming occurred in winters. Annual precipitation slightly decreased during the 50-year period, with summer precipitation experiencing the highest drop in the last 10 years, and spring precipitation, a rise. Spatially, annual precipitation increased significantly in the northeast and eastern central area of the region next to the typical steppe. From 2004 to 2012, vegetation green-up and senescence date advanced in the area, shortening the growing season. Consequently, the primary productivity of the desert steppe decreased along precipitation gradient from southeast to northwest. Temporally, productivity increased during the period of 1982–1999 and significantly decreased after 2000. Overall, the last decade witnessed the most dramatic climatic changes that were likely to negatively affect the desert steppe ecosystem. The decreased primary productivity, in particular, decreases ecosystem resilience and impairs the livelihood of local farmers and herdsmen.     

近40 a内蒙古正蓝旗气候变化特征

气候变化特征对于当地适应气候变化政策及制定相应的管理对策具有重要意义,利用内蒙古锡林郭勒盟正蓝旗1970-2009年气温和降水资料,结合回归分析对该旗气候变化的主要特征进行了分析。结果表明：内蒙古正蓝旗气温呈明显的上升趋势,变化倾向率为0.57 ℃·（10a)^-1,40 a平均气温为2.26 ℃,其中21世纪初前10 a上升幅度最大,其年代平均气温攀升至峰值,达到3.07 ℃;降水量也呈上升趋势,其变化倾向率为4.85 mm·（10a）^-1,40 a平均降水量为352.31 mm,其中20世纪90年代降水量最高,达到398.74 mm,而21世纪初前10 a降水量迅速下降,成为近40 a降水量最低点,低于多年平均降水量19.62 mm。总体而言,正蓝旗20世纪70年代趋于相对干冷,80年代则由相对干冷向暖湿发展的过渡期,而90年代正蓝旗呈相对明显的暖湿化趋势,21世纪前10 a降水量减少和气温继续升高,出现暖干化趋势。     

Effects of irrigation on precipitation in the arid regions of Xinjiang,China

Soil moisture is an important parameter for the interaction between soil and atmosphere.It is the second important factor that influences climate change,next to sea surface temperature(SST).Most previous studies focused on the monsoon regions in East China,and only a few laid emphases on arid environments.In Xinjiang, which is located in Northwest China,the climate is typically arid and semi-arid.During the past 20 years,the precipitation in Xinjiang has shown a significant increasing trend,and it is closely related to oasis irrigation.This paper aims at discussing whether abnormal soil moisture in spring can be the signal to forecast summer precipitation.The effects of abnormal soil moisture due to farm irrigation in spring in arid environments on regional climate are investigated by using a regional climate model(RegCM3).The results indicate that positive soil moisture anomaly in irrigated cropland surface in May led to an increase in precipitation in spring as well as across the whole summer. The impact could last for about four months.The effects of soil moisture on the surface air temperature showed a time-lagging trend.The summer air temperature declined by a maximum amplitude of 0.8oC.The increased soil moisture could enhance evaporation and ascending motion in the low troposphere,which brought in more precipitation.The soil moisture affected regional weather and climate mainly by altering the surface sensible and latent heat fluxes.     

内蒙古东北部天然牧草生态气候适应性研究

应用积分回归、模糊数学中隶属函数和地理信息系统,对内蒙古东北部的天然牧草进行分区生态气候适应性综合评价。分析表明:牧草的自然生态适应性在半干旱、干旱环境中明显不如湿润、半湿润地区;对天然牧草的资源总量、生态系统进行了系统辩识;以定量、客观的方法分析和评价牧草气候资源区域分布特征,揭示出了资源的总体状况和各气候生态要素间的相互匹配情况。可为制定畜牧业发展规划提供决策依据。     

Temporal and spatial variation of annual mean air temperature in arid and semiarid region in northwest China over a recent 46 year period

We analyzed the 1961-2006 mean surface air temperature data of 138 stations in China’s northwest arid and semi-arid areas(CNASA),to measure climate change in terms of annual mean air temperature changes.We used methods of linear regression analysis,multinomial fitting,Empirical Or-thogonal Function(EOF),Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function(REOF),Mann-Kendall,Glide T-examination,wavelet analysis and power spectrum analysis.The results show that(1) the warming rate of the annual mean air temperature in CNASA was 0.35oC/10a during the 1961-2006 study period.Some places in the west part of Xinjiang and east part of the Qinghai plateau,which is impacted by the terrain of leeward slope,exhibit smaller increasing trends.However,the majority of region has shown distinct warming in line with general global warming;(2) The standard deviation of the annual mean temperature distribution is non-uniform.The south Xinjiang and east Qinghai-south Gansu areas show relatively small standard deviations,but the inter-annual variation in annual mean air temperature in the greater part of the region is high;(3) Inner Mongolia,Shaanxi,Gansu,Ningxia and Tarim Basin are the areas where the temperature changes are most sensitive to the environment.The degree of uniformity in annual mean air temperature increase is higher in the arid and semi-arid area.From the early 1970s,the trend in tempera-ture changed from a decrease to an increase,and there was a marked increase in mean temperature in 1986.After that mean temperature went through a period of rapid increase.The entire area’s 10 hottest years all occurred in or since the 1990s,and 90% of various sub-districts’ hottest years also occurred after 1990.The process of temperature change appears to have a roughly 5-year and a 10-year cycle;(4) An-nual mean air temperature variation has regional differences.In Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang and Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Qinghai areas,the temperature variation in their northern areas was very different from that in their southern areas;(5) Using     

我国干旱半干旱地区气候变化及其影响

全球气候变化正在直接或间接地对自然生态系统和人类经济社会产生影响,而干旱、半干旱地区的生态系统非常脆弱,对气候变化异常敏感,通过对我国干旱半干旱地区气候变化及影响研究,认为在近50年我国干旱半干旱地区气温上升了1.8℃、降水增多29mm、地表蒸发加大、径流量减少、水资源供求矛盾加剧;农业结构调整,绿洲灌溉区农作物气候产量提高,雨养旱作区农作物产量减少;部分草原生产力下降,病虫害加剧;沙尘暴总体呈减少趋势,但局部地区由于气温升高,土壤水分耗减加速,风沙活动加剧;农业、航空、建筑、渔业、交通、工业均受到影响。     

泛中亚干旱区气候变化特征分析

利用Climatic Research Unit(CRU)1949—2018年最新0.5°×0.5°网格点月均数据集,主要从EOF分解、小波分析的角度,讨论了泛中亚干旱区近70 a的气候变化特征。结果表明:(1)泛中亚干旱区近70 a降水以1.393 mm·(10a)-1的速率呈增加趋势,夏季降水呈减少趋势,其余三季为增加趋势,其中冬季最明显[0.834 mm·(10a)-1],同时冬季增温幅度也最大[0.360℃·(10a)-1];(2)降水距平场的EOF分析表明:泛中亚干旱区降水变化趋势呈整体一致性(降水第一模态),西南-东北反向变化特征(降水第二模态),由西向东“-+-”交替分布特征(降水第三模态),3个模态都存在显著的准3 a周期,第一模态还存在5~7 a和准12 a周期,第三模态存在准7 a变化周期;(3)温度距平场的EOF分析表明:温度距平变化表现出整体一致性(温度第一模态),东-西反向变化特征(温度第二模态),第一模态具有显著的准2 a、8~10 a周期,第二模态具有明显的2~4 a、准5 a周期。传统意义上的暖季并没有呈现出比较明显的增温多雨,冷季反而增温幅度更大,降水增加更明显。哈萨克斯坦中部、土库曼斯坦及蒙古国大部干旱化趋势明显,哈萨克斯坦东西两侧、我国新疆北部以及帕米尔高原的部分地方表现出显著的湿润化趋势,我国西北大部地区总体呈弱的湿润化趋势。随着亚洲夏季风的减弱,冷季降水增量高于暖季,这似乎说明亚洲冬季风对泛中亚干旱区降水的影响正在加大。本研究结果旨在加深对泛中亚干旱区气候变化特征的认识,为进一步防灾减灾、合理应对气候变化、坚持可持续发展战略提供科学依据。     

近55年新疆昭苏县气候变化特征及成因分析

利用昭苏县气象站1956-2010年期间的逐年、月、季平均气温和降水资料,采用线性回归、趋势分析、滑动平均等方法分析了昭苏县最近55年的气候变化特征,并运用非参数检验法(M-K法)对气温降水年变化趋势进行突变检验。结果表明:昭苏县近55年来气温一直呈上升趋势,增温率为0.319℃/10a,明显高于全国和全球;突变检验表明,1989年为增温突变点,突变后的年平均气温为3.4℃,较突变前上升了1.3℃。降水量总体呈增加趋势,21世纪以来增加现象显著;突变检验表明,降水在1969-1975年和2005年以来有增加的趋势,1969和1998为降水突变点,说明21世纪以来昭苏县气候向暖湿化趋势发展。     

近50a固阳县气候的Hurst分析

运用R/S分析法对固阳县近50 a气候的平均气温、平均气压、平均降水量、相对湿度和最长连续无降水日等指标分别按不同的时间窗进行分析,并计算出各项指标的Hurst指数.利用5a滑动平均值对各项指标过去50 a的变化趋势进行分析,并对其作出诊断.最后,结合各指标的Hurst指数,定量预测了它们未来的变化趋势.     

Effects of climate change and human activity on lake shrinkage in Gonghe Basin of northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the past 60 years

Changes in the status of freshwater resources are a topic of major global,regional and local concern.This is especially so in the arid and semi-arid regions of China,where shortage of water resources plays a crucial role in limiting sustainable socioeconomic development,as well as in sustaining natural ecosystems.Recent climate change,as well as the effects of localized human activity,such as the use of water for irrigation agriculture,may have significant effects on the status of the water resources in the region.Here,we report the results of a study of changes in the areas of lakes in Gonghe Basin,northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China,over the last 60 years.The data were acquired from optical satellite images and demonstrate that the total water area of lakes in Gonghe Basin decreased significantly from the 1950 s to 1980 s.The cause is ascribed mainly to human activity including exploitation of farmland,against a background of increasing population;in addition,climatic data for the region demonstrate a minor drying trend during this period as the temperature increased slightly.After the construction of several reservoirs,significant amounts of water were redistributed to promote irrigation agriculture and we conclude that this caused a significant shrinkage of the natural lakes.However,both the area of farmland and the population size remained approximately constant after 1990.We conclude that the variation of the total area of lakes during the second period was mainly controlled by climatic factors(precipitation and temperature).As the regional temperature reached a new high,the area of some of the lakes decreased sharply before finally maintaining a relatively steady state.We emphasize that anthropogenic climate change and human activity have both significantly influenced the status of water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions of China.     

Meteorological impacts on evapotranspiration in different climatic zones of Pakistan

Arid regions are highly vulnerable and sensitive to drought. The crops cultivated in arid zones are at high risk due to the high evapotranspiration and water demands. This study analyzed the changes in seasonal and annual evapotranspiration(ET) during 1951–2016 at 50 meteorological stations located in the extremely arid, arid, and semi-arid zones of Pakistan using the Penman Monteith(PM) method. The results show that ET is highly sensitive and positively correlated to temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed whereas vapor pressure is negatively correlated to ET. The study also identifies the relationship of ET with the meteorological parameters in different climatic zones of Pakistan. The significant trend analysis of precipitation and temperature(maximum and minimum) are conducted at 95% confidence level to determine the behaviors of these parameters in the extremely arid, arid, and semi-arid zones. The mean annual precipitation and annual mean maximum temperature significantly increased by 0.828 mm/a and 0.014℃/a in the arid and extremely arid zones, respectively. The annual mean minimum temperature increased by 0.017℃/a in the extremely arid zone and 0.019℃/a in the arid zone, whereas a significant decrease of 0.007℃/a was observed in the semi-arid zone. This study provides probabilistic future scenarios that would be helpful for policy-makers, agriculturists to plan effective irrigation measures towards the sustainable development in Pakistan.     

Tree ring based drought variability in Northwest Tajikistan since 1895 AD

Determining the mechanisms controlling the changes of wet and dry conditions will improve our understanding of climate change over the past hundred years, which is of great significance to the study of climate and environmental changes in the arid regions of Central Asia. Forest trees are ecologically significant in the local environment, and therefore the tree ring analysis can provide a clear record of regional historical climate. This study analyzed the correlation between the tree ring width chronology of Juniperus turkestanica Komarov and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI) in Northwest Tajikistan, based on 56 tree ring samples collected from Shahristan in the Pamir region. Climate data including precipitation, temperature and the SPEI were downloaded from the Climate Research Unit(CRU) TS 4.00. The COFECHA program was used for cross-dating, and the ARSTAN program was used to remove the growth trend of the tree itself and the influence of non-climatic factors on the growth of the trees. A significant correlation was found between the radial growth of J. turkestanica trees and the monthly mean SPEI of February–April. The monthly mean SPEI sequence of February–April during the period of 1895–2016 was reconstructed, and the reconstruction equation explained 42.5% of the variance. During the past 122 a(1895–2016), the study area has experienced three wetter periods(precipitation above average): 1901–1919, 1945–1983 and 1995–2010, and four drier periods(precipitation below average): 1895–1900, 1920–1944, 1984–1994 and 2011–2016. The spatial correlation analysis revealed that the monthly mean SPEI reconstruction sequence of February–April could be used to characterize the large-scale dry-wet variations in Northwest Tajikistan during the period of 1895–2016. This study could provide comparative data for validating the projections of climate models and scientific basis for managing water resources in Tajikistan in the context of climate change.     

近50 a黄河上游气候变化趋势和干湿界线波动分析

利用黄河上游地区13个气象站点1959-2008年的气候资料,研究了黄河上游地区多个气候要素的变化,以30 a为时间尺度研究气候变化趋势的可行性。结果表明：区域东南部站点呈干暖化趋势,其他站点以湿暖化为主,变湿的趋势不显著,而变暖的趋势普遍且显著;东南部向着干旱化的方向发展,其他区域不显著;年平均气温和最低气温在1959-1988年、1969-1998年和1979-2008年3个时段呈持续增加趋势,最高气温仅在近30 a呈整体增加趋势;在最低气温和最高气温的共同作用下,1979-2008年年均气温的增幅最大;低海拔站点日照时数持续、显著减少,而高海拔的玛多、达日两站则呈显著增加趋势;相对湿度恰好相反,低海拔站点多呈增加趋势,高海拔站点多呈减少趋势。区域风速总体呈下降趋势,尤其是低海拔地区和后两个时段。采用30 a为时间尺度分析气候变化具有一定的可行性。     

近52 a长白山苔原带生长季气候变化特征

利用长白山苔原带天池站1959-2010年6-9月气象数据,进行生长季气候变化分析。采用距平值、小波分析、Mann Kendall检验相结合的方法,进行温度、降水周期性变化与突变点的检验;采用线性倾向估计法,分析未来气候变化的趋势;并通过气候变化指数,反映其气候变化情况。结果显示：52 a来,长白山苔原带生长季经历了暖湿-冷干-暖湿-冷干-冷湿-冷干-暖干几个主要阶段,温度变化周期为5～10 a,降水变化周期为5 a和20 a.。温度变化的突变年份发生在1998年,降水变化较之温度变化复杂,其存在多个突变年份;各气象要素的变化趋势大都表现为显著的升高,其中温度的变化最为明显,风速、日照时数的变化甚微;霜冻日数与冰点日数均显著减少,极端温度大多出现在21世纪;伴随着>0.1 mm降雨日数的显著减小,长白山苔原带降水强度不断增加;与植物生长相关的生长季≥0 ℃积温、≥3 ℃积温和≥5 ℃积温在52 a间呈显著增加趋势,积温的增加将会对生长季的延长及植物生长起到显著的促进作用。     

Attribution analysis and multi-scenario prediction of NDVI drivers in the Xilin Gol grassland,China

Grassland degradation is influenced by climate change and human activities, and has become a major obstacle for the development of arid and semi-arid areas, posing a series of environmental and socio-economic problems. An in-depth understanding of the inner relations among grassland vegetation dynamics, climate change, and human activities is therefore greatly significant for understanding the variation in regional environmental conditions and predicting future developmental trends. Based on MODIS (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) data from 2000 to 2020, our objective is to investigate the spatiotemporal changes of NDVI in the Xilin Gol grassland, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Combined with 12 natural factors and human activity factors in the same period, the dominant driving factors and their interactions were identified by using the geographic detector model, and multiple scenarios were also simulated to forecast the possible paths of future NDVI changes in this area. The results showed that: (1) in the past 21 a, vegetation cover in the Xilin Gol grassland exhibited an overall increasing trend, and the vegetation restoration (84.53%) area surpassed vegetation degradation area (7.43%); (2) precipitation, wind velocity, and livestock number were the dominant factors affecting NDVI (the explanatory power of these factors exceeded 0.4). The interaction between average annual wind velocity and average annual precipitation, and between average annual precipitation and livestock number greatly affected NDVI changes (the explanatory power of these factors exceeded 0.7). Moreover, the impact of climate change on NDVI was more significant than human activities; and (3) scenario analysis indicated that NDVI in the Xinlin Gol grassland increased under the scenarios of reduced wind velocity, increased precipitation, and ecological protection. In contrast, vegetation coverage restoration in this area was significantly reduced under the scenarios of unfavorable climate conditions and excessive human activities. This study provides a scientific basis for future vegetation restoration and management, ecological environmental construction, and sustainable natural resource utilization in this area.     

近二十年内蒙古地区空中水资源的分布及变化趋势

根据内蒙古自治区12个探空站1980-2000年的每日两个时次的探空资料,计算了每个探空站的可降水量,分析了内蒙古地区可降水量的时空分布和多年的变化趋势。另外利用这12个站的实际降水资料分别计算了它们每个月的降水效率、年平均降水效率。结果表明:可降水量从1-7月逐渐增加,7月后逐渐减少,且从东到西依次减少。1980-2000年12个站的可降水量均呈现出增加的趋势。降水效率在7、8月份最大。年平均降水效率最少的是额济纳,最大的是索伦。内蒙古地区的降水效率较低,即使是降水效率最大的索伦站7月份的降水效率也只有21.02%,因此,可以说内蒙古地区的空中水资源的开发潜力是较大的。