Abstract ID: 3.11244 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Plant growth in the cold deserts of the Himalayan region of Ladakh is limited by both low temperatures and low water availability. While rising temperatures prolong the growing season, they also alter water availability through increased evapotranspiration or earlier snowmelt. The response of vegetation to a changing climate in this region depends on the balance between the positive effects of a prolonged growing season and accumulated heat, and the altered water regime. Using combined evidence from micro-scale in-situ observations and experiments on individual plant growth, as well as satellite-based NDVI, we discuss the role of temperature and precipitation variability in vegetation dynamics along the steep elevational gradients of Ladakh. Our results highlight the prominent limiting role of water availability for plant growth in this region and detect a significant greening trend, independent of climatic drivers.