Global vegetation productivity increased in response to COVID-19 restrictions

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)-imposed restrictions in 2020 and 2021 led to a notable reduction in human activity, providing an opportunity to study the impact of human activity on global vegetation productivity. The impacts on vegetation productivity are of particular interest, as vegetation carbon sinks serve as one of the main pathways for carbon neutrality. This study investigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on global vegetation productivity in 2020 and 2021 by leveraging remotely sensed big data and model data. This study revealed reduced atmospheric emissions and increased radiation reaching the surface in these two years. Compared to the time period from 2017 to 2019, global vegetation productivity increased by 1.95% and 1.15% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, with a majority of countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic showing enhanced vegetation productivity. This study conclude that a sudden reduction in human activities due to COVID-19 restrictions plays a positive role in global vegetation productivity and carbon neutrality. The widely implemented COVID-19 control measures at the global scale allow scholars to observe the responding mechanism of vegetation productivity, greatly benefiting the rethinking of existing sustainable development strategies.