How Topographic Features Affect the Spatial Heterogeneity of Vegetation Over the Mongolian Plateau

Abstract Animal movement in drylands is a key adaptive strategy for securing adequate forage, and is closely related to the interaction between vegetation heterogeneity and topography. These landscape features jointly shape the spatial distribution and seasonal availability of forage, thereby driving variability in movement patterns. To investigate these mechanisms, we integrated the topographical indices with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index at the begining (April) and end (August) of the growing season during 2000–2021 across 96 sites over the Mongolian Plateau (MP). Using spatial correlation functions, we quantified the homogeneity distance (HD)—the spatial extent over which vegetation anomalies maintain a consistent sign—in four directions. Principal coordinate analysis revealed spatial clustering in HD patterns, with a pronounced division between the southern MP (SMP; 43°N–46°N) and northern MP (NMP; 47°N–50°N), which diminished by August. These spatial patterns are attributed to differences in relative topographic position rather than absolute elevation. In the NMP, strong contrasts between snow‐covered mountaintops and sparsely vegetated valleys led to shorter HDs in April, followed by widespread greening and longer HDs in August, resulting in significant seasonal heterogeneity. Conversely, the flatter, rocky terrain of the SMP exhibited longer HDs in April due to uniform vegetation, which remained stable throughout the growing season due to limited precipitation and higher evapotranspiration. These findings help elucidate the divergent movement behaviors of pastoral livestock and wild animals across the MP, and underscore critical implications for rangeland management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livestock husbandry under increasing environmental variability.