Spatiotemporal Variation and Driving Factors Analysis of Net Primary Productivity in the Qinling Mountains

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) reflects the net growth of plant biomass via photosynthesis, essential for evaluating ecosystem functions, biodiversity, and carbon cycling. This study on the Qinling region’s NPP, using NASA’s MOD17A3HGF data on the GEE platform, applied statistical methods like Theil-Sen trend analysis and Mann-Kendall trend test. Results showed a steady annual NPP increase from 2001 to 2020, with a stable pattern (CV of 0.102) and a growth rate of 10.02 gC/(m–2 a–1). The Hurst index suggested a future positive NPP trend. NPP in Qinling was influenced by elevation and affected by climate change (23.16%) and human activities (76.84%). Solar radiation and precipitation positively correlated with NPP, while temperature and evapotranspiration had negative impacts. Human interventions, particularly land restoration, significantly enhanced NPP, especially in eastern Qinling. These findings underline the importance of ecological conservation and provide a basis for future policy and climate change adaptation strategies.