Seasonal Differences in the Local and Teleconnected Climate Responses to Vegetation Greening in China and India

Based on leaf area index (LAI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) datasets, this study systematically analyzes the spatial distribution and temporal variation characteristics of vegetation index trends at the global scale, clarifying the overall pattern of global greening and the seasonal differences in vegetation greening between eastern China and India. Regions with significant greening in China and India were selected as sensitivity zones, and a coupled land–atmosphere model was used to simulate seasonal differences in the climate response to greening. The findings reveal that: (1) Vegetation greening in eastern China is most pronounced in summer, whereas in India, the greening effect is most prominent in autumn; (2) The synergistic greening of both regions induces a year-round cooling effect in southeastern China, whereas northeastern China experiences summer warming and cooling in the other seasons. Furthermore, spring greening in China and India leads to a pronounced and widespread cooling across the mid-to-high latitudes of Eurasia. (3) In terms of precipitation, southwestern China shows an increasing trend in summer rainfall, while southeastern China shows a decreasing trend. In India, synergistic greening leads to spring and summer warming and autumn and winter cooling, with the cooling and increased precipitation effects being most significant in autumn.