Abstract: This paper examines the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and relationship of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of Ningxia versus its climate productivity based on remote sensing images of 2000-2017, using methods of univariate linear regression analysis, a Thornthwaite memorial model, correlation analysis, etc. The results show that the NDVI of the southern Ningxia forest area and the irrigation districts with irrigation water diverted from the Yellow River is higher than that of the central arid zone, and in recent years it is increasing significantly at a rate of 0.041 (10 a)-1. During the 18 years, vegetation index in Ningxia increased slightly, accounting for 64.12%. The climatic productivity is decreasing gradually across Ningxia from southeast to northwest, and the time trend in annual precipitation is similar to that in climatic productivity. In most areas, NDVI is positively correlated with climatic productivity in pixel scale, with negative correlation covering only 4.92% of the total area. Linear fitting degree of these two parameters is 0.731.

Key words: vegetation index, climatic productivity, spatiotemporal distribution, univariate linear regression analysis, Thornthwaite memorial model, Ningxia