Abstract:By using three LAI products based on MODIS sensors, the spatial and temporal variations of LAI over China during 2003-2009, as well as its correlations with surface air temperature and precipitation have been analyzed. The results show that the LAI in the different datasets have consistent spatial patterns in seasonal evolution and linear trends. The LAI has increased in the Daxinganling Mts. of Northeastern China, North China, Central China and southwest China, and decreased in the Sichuan Basin, south of the Yangtze River Valley, and east of South China. Distinct regional inconsistency is found mainly in the Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces and southeast Tibetan plateau. The LAI calculated by China Academy of Science (LAI1) is generally smaller than those by NASA(LAI2)and Beijing Normal University (LAI3), with differences larger than 1.0 in the evergreen broadleaf forest region. With regard to its the relationships with climate factors, LAI1 show significant correlation with precipitation and surface air temperature and similar spatial pattern of correlation coefficients, but this correlation of LAI1 is less than that of LAI2 and LAI3. The discrepancies among them are mainly due to the different data sources and retrieval methods. The consistency and similarity among the three datasets show their availabilities in qualitative applications though the differences on magnitude and regional features may have impacts on quantitative analyses.