Adaptive Mechanisms of Karst Vegetation Facing Intensifying Drought under a Changing Climate

Karst regions cover approximately 15% of the global terrestrial surface and serve as important carbon sinks. However, these ecosystems are highly fragile, and the increasing frequency of droughts under climate change poses mounting threats to their ecological stability. In this study, we utilize long-term remote sensing vegetation and climate datasets, combined with a paired-pixel approach and neural network models, to investigate and compare vegetation responses to extreme climate conditions in karst and non-karst regions, providing a scientific basis for the conservation and management of karst ecosystems. Our results indicate that vegetation in karst areas is more likely to survive droughts than that in non-karst regions, owing to its greater drought resistance. Vegetation exhibits a trade-off between drought resistance and resilience: in high-altitude, steep-slope areas with persistent water scarcity, vegetation predominantly displays drought resistance, whereas in more humid regions, it tends to be more resilient. Overall, vegetation responses to extreme climate events differ significantly between karst and non-karst regions, with lithology exerting a strong control over vegetation dynamics. These findings offer important insights to support ecological restoration and adaptive management strategies in karst regions under a changing climate.