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Vegetation serves as a crucial indicator of ecological environment and plays a vital role in preserving ecosystem stability. However, as urbanization escalates rapidly, natural vegetation landscapes are undergoing continuous transformation. Paradoxically, vegetation is pivotal in mitigating the ecological and environmental challenges posed by urban sprawl. The middle and lower Yangtze River Basin (MLYRB) in China, particularly its economically thriving lower reaches, has witnessed a surge in urbanization. Consequently, this study explored the spatiotemporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the MLYRB, with an emphasis on elucidating the impact of climate change and urbanization on vegetation dynamics. The results indicate that a significant increasing trend in NDVI across the MLYRB from 2000 to 2020, a pattern that is expected to persist. An improvement in vegetation was observed in 94.12% of the prefecture-level cities in the study area, predominantly in the western and southern regions. Temperature and wind speed stand out as dominant contributors to this improvement. Nevertheless, significant vegetation degradation was detected in some highly urbanized cities in the central and eastern parts of the study area, mainly attributed to the negative effects of escalating urbanization. Interestingly, a positive correlation between NDVI and the urbanization rate was observed, which may be largely related to proactive ecological preservation policies. Additionally, global climatic oscillations were identified as a key force driving periodic NDVI variations. These findings hold significant importance in promoting harmonious urbanization and ecological preservation, thereby providing invaluable insights for future urban ecological planning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation plays a crucial role in nature, with intricate interactions between it and the geographical environment. The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) refers to the third largest river basin globally and an essential ecological security barrier in China. Monitoring vegetation dynamics in the basin is of profound significance for addressing climate change, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss in the basin's ecosystems. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation at both the basin and land cover scales in the YRB from 2000 to 2020. We elucidate the determinants driving the changes and explore future normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trends. The results indicate that NDVI in the YRB increased at a rate of 0.0032 year−1 (p < 0.01) over the past 21 years, and it is anticipated to maintain an upward trend in the future. Regions in the upper and middle reaches of the YRB demonstrated higher NDVI, whereas regions in the headwater area and the lower reaches showed lower NDVI. Significant vegetation improvement was primarily concentrated in the central part of the basin, while noticeable vegetation degradation was observed in the eastern region. Temperature and wind speed were identified as the primary controlling factors affecting vegetation greenness. Global‐scale climate oscillations played a significant role in driving periodic variations in NDVI, with La Niña events tending to increase NDVI, while El Niño events hindered its rise. Land cover types were influenced by long‐term interactions between natural factors and human activities, although short‐term vegetation variations might be more affected by the latter. Our findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms behind vegetation variability driven by multiple variables, and the strong vegetation carbon sink capacity advances the conservation and development of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]