Objective This study aims to reveal the spatiotemporal differentiation of vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP) in the Mu Us Sandy Land, analyze its response mechanism to climate factors such as precipitation, temperature, and radiation, and quantify the ecological benefits of the Grain for Green Program, thereby providing a scientific basis for the adaptive management of ecosystems in arid regions in response to climate change. Methods The Mu Us Sandy Land was selected as the study area. Based on the Google Earth Engine remote sensing cloud platform, GPP data from MODIS products, Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) dataset, and meteorological data were integrated. Methods such as trend analysis, partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the spatiotemporal variation patterns of vegetation GPP and EVI in the Mu Us Sandy Land from 2001 to 2020, as well as the influencing mechanisms of precipitation, temperature, and radiation factors on vegetation GPP changes. Results GPP in the Mu Us Sandy Land exhibited an overall increasing trend over time, rising from 175 gC/(m2 · a) in 2001 to 280 gC/(m2 · a) in 2020, with a growth rate of 60%. In terms of spatial distribution characteristics, the GPP distribution in the Mu Us Sandy Land gradually increased from northwest to southeast. In the Mu Us Sandy Land, areas with negative GPP growth were less distributed, while areas showing significant increasing trends were located in the southern and eastern parts, covering a relatively small area, with a growth rate exceeding 15 gC/(m2 · a). The growth trend in the central and western parts ranged between 0 and 10 gC/(m2 · a). The GPP in the eastern part of the Mu Us Sandy Land was greatly affected by precipitation, while the GPP in the western part was less affected by precipitation. Radiation was the dominant driver of GPP growth in the Mu Us Sandy Land. Conclusion The influencing factor of GPP in the western part of the Mu Us Sandy Land is temperature, while precipitation is the influencing factor of GPP in the eastern part. In the southern part, GPP is comprehensively influenced by precipitation, radiation, and temperature. The findings of this study can serve as an important basis for evaluating the effectiveness of ecological protection measures and the restoration status of the ecosystem in the Mu Us Sandy Land, thereby informing the development of protection and management policies. This will facilitate the formulation of more targeted measures to promote the sustainable development of the ecosystem.
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