In this study

based on the RS and GIS systems

AVHRR/NDVI data of 8 km resolution and meteorological data were used to analyze NDVI

annual precipitation

and temperature change rates by pixel from 1981 to 2000.In addition

the correlation between NDVI

annual rainfall

and annual average air temperature were calculated.The results showed that annual precipitation increased in the northern and southern areas of the Hai Basin from 1981 to 2000 while declining in the central area

with a range of-80 to 80 mm/10 a（’a’ represents a year）.As basin-wide temperatures increased

the Wutai Mountains area had the most significant increase

up to about 2℃/10 a.The NDVI reduced significantly in Beijing

Tianjin and other large adjacent cities

with a change rate of about-0.8 NDVI/10 a while increasing in the southeast part of the plains of the Hai Basin and the Yanshan Mountains

at about 0.8 NDVI/10 a.The correlation between NDVI

precipitation

and air temperature had significant spatial variation.In the cold and wet areas of the Hai Basin

such as the grasslands in the upstream areas of the Luanhe River and the area of the Wutai Mountains

the vegetation index is not sensitive to precipitation while it is correlated positively with the air temperature.In the warm and wet climate areas

such as the south end of the Taihang Mountains

the precipitation affected vegetation growth when it increased.In dry conditions

such as the eastern coastal plain and north of the Yanshan Mountains of the Hai Basin

NDVI significantly was correlated positively with precipitation and negatively with air temperature.In the irrigated agriculture areas of the piedmont plain

crop growth was not sensitive to climate changes.