Table 1.

Linear regression between beginning of vegetation growing season (BGS) and temperature

Regression model	r2	P	Period
Steppe
BGS = −6.21 × Tspring + 197.1	0.43	0.02	1998–2009
BGS = −5.46 × Tspring + 193.3	0.63	0.06	1998–2003
BGS = −10.08 × Tspring + 227.1	0.49	0.08	2003–2009
BGS = −1.83 × Twinter + 136.3	0.08	0.37	1998–2009
BGS = 4.01 × Twinter + 175.7	0.34	0.23	1998–2003
BGS = −4.54 × Twinter + 120.6	0.32	0.19	2003–2009
Meadow
BGS = −8.21 × Tspring + 204.9	0.69	<0.01	1998–2009
BGS = −8.00 × Tspring + 204.1	0.72	0.03	1998–2003
BGS = −10.80 × Tspring + 225.0	0.58	0.05	2003–2009
BGS = −1.05 × Twinter + 136.3	0.02	0.64	1998–2009
BGS = 3.37 × Twinter + 164.9	0.10	0.55	1998–2003
BGS = −3.36 × Twinter + 124.2	0.20	0.32	2003–2009

T_sping, mean temperature of spring (April, May, and June); T_winter, mean temperature of winter (January, February, and the former December). Temperature was averaged from 29 meteorological stations for steppe and 40 stations for meadow.