Land‐Atmosphere Coupling Is Associated With Severer Vegetation Productivity Losses During Compound Dry‐Hot Events in Drylands

ABSTRACT Under global warming, the frequency of compound dry‐hot events (CDHEs) has substantially increased, especially in drylands which are widely recognised as global hotspots of land‐atmosphere coupling (LAC). Unfortunately, how LAC strength regulates CDHE impacts on vegetation growth remains unclear. Using 2000–2019 climate reanalysis and satellite‐derived productivity proxies, this study assessed CDHE impacts by quantifying the coincidence rate between CDHE occurrence and anomalies of soil moisture or vegetation productivity. We revealed that CDHEs exerted widespread soil moisture deficits across drylands, with more pronounced reductions in vegetation observed in temperate shrublands, savannas and grasslands. Dry‐event‐leading CDHEs were more likely to pose disproportionately vegetation damage than hot‐event‐leading CDHEs. Semi‐arid and sub‐humid zones showed the greatest vulnerability in vegetation productivity under CDHEs. Approximately 91% of hotspots with extreme vegetation productivity decline overlapped with regions exhibiting positive land‐atmosphere feedbacks. In these regions, LAC was associated with stronger CDHE impacts through a ‘soil drying—latent heat decreasing—surface warming’ feedback loop, with stronger coupling linked to severer productivity suppression. This study underscores the association between LAC strength and CDHE‐induced vegetation damage, providing insights for assessing risk of compound climate extremes in a warmer future.