Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Vegetation Response to Climatic Variability Using NDVI and VCI in the Forested Landscape

This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation in the forested landscapes of Dindigul and Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, from 2001 to 2020 using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and key meteorological parameters. Results reveal that NDVI has a strong positive correlation with relative humidity ( r = 0.68, P < 0.01), surface pressure ( r = 0.52, P < 0.05), and precipitation ( r = 0.60, P < 0.05), indicating that moisture availability is a major driver of vegetation health. In contrast, elevated temperature and high radiation were linked to reduced NDVI, suggesting vegetation stress under warming conditions. VCI analysis for 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 revealed minimal drought-affected areas, indicating strong ecological resilience across the study period. However, a gradual decline in NDVI between 2005 and 2015 reflects growing climate-induced stress on vegetation. The findings underscore the influence of climatic variability on vegetation dynamics and highlight the potential of NDVI and VCI as effective tools for long-term ecosystem monitoring and sustainable forest management.