Abstract: Global climate change has led to significant vegetation changes in recent decades. Vegetation NDVI is an important indicator for evaluating terrestrial eco-system change. Its response to climate change has become one of the main contents in current global change research. The Qaidam Basin, located in the northeast of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, is most sensitive to climate change. Based on GIMMS NDVI from 1982 to 2006, MODIS NDVI from 2001 to 2015 and climate data from 54 meteorological stations from 1982 to 2015, we analyzed the temporal and spatial evolution of the NDVI in different watersheds and their correlations with the precipitation & temperature using linear regression and correlation analysis. The results were shown as follows:(1) From1982 to 2015, the NDVI of vegetation growing season in the study area was improved progressively, with a linear tendency of 0.1%·a^-1. The relationship between vegetation change and precipitation & temperature showed a significant positive correlation, the correlation coefficients were 0.536 and 0.400 respectively. The restoration area was mainly distributed in the areas of high altitudes in the Qimantag Mt, Burhan Budai Mt, Ela Mt and Zongwulong Mt surrounding areas of the Donggi Conga Lake and the core areas of those oases.(2)The climatic change and vegetation change had stages, which was remarkable in different regions. The vegetation restoration was characterized by two fast-growing periods, with an "S-shaped" increasing curve in Dulan Lake Basin, Dabuxun Lake basin and Tuosu Lake basin. For Dulan Lake Basin, Dabuxun Lake Basin and Tuosu Lake basin in the eastern Qaidam Basin, the relationship between NDVI in vegetation growing season and precipitation & temperature presented a three-section response law with 1989 and 2002 being the turning points. While for Gasikule Lake basin, Dachaidan Lake basin, Xiaochaidan Lake Basin, Sugan Lake Basin and Taijinaier Lake Basin in the western Qaidam Basin, it presented a two-section response law with the extreme events of dry year in 1994 and 1995 being the turning point.(3) In the global warming situation, the western Qaidam Basin was mainly controlled by the westerly circulation, while it was influenced by the Asian summer monsoon in the east. The stronger plateau monsoon, the weaker westerly circulation, and the underlying surface, are the contributing factors for the different responses of the vegetation to the climate in the Qaidam Basin.

Key words: NDVI, temperature, precipitation, the Qaidam Basin