Table 1_Climatic factors influencing vegetation net primary productivity in semi-arid savanna reserves of Limpopo Province, South Africa.docx

Results showed a positive annual mean NPP trend of 4.94 g C m^-2 yr^-1, despite strong interannual variability. NPP trends were mostly directionally positive but largely statistically insignificant, while 86.72% of the landscape showed high or relatively high stability. Precipitation showed strong interannual variability with a weak upward trend, while temperature increased gradually over the study period.

Correlation analysis based on ecological-season climate summaries showed that NPP was positively associated with precipitation and soil moisture and negatively associated with solar radiation, PET, and temperature, highlighting the dominant role of growing-season moisture availability. Temporal-window analysis further indicated stronger recent climate–NPP sensitivity, especially to soil moisture, precipitation, PET, and solar radiation.

Geo-detector results revealed strong interactions among climatic and topographic variables, notably slope–precipitation, slope–PET, and slope–temperature. These findings suggest that vegetation productivity in protected semi-arid savanna reserves is influenced by both moisture availability and spatial environmental gradients, offering valuable insights for climate-adaptation planning and savanna ecosystem management.</p>