Estimates of plant growth in Inner Mongolia were made using satellite data and a model that looks at how efficiently plants use light. The study found that the region's plants produced about 0.25 billion tons of carbon each year from 2003 to 2008. Plant growth was highest in the northeast and lowest in the southwest. Most of the growth happened from May to September, with the peak in July and August. Plant growth was influenced by both rainfall and temperature, and how much light the plants absorbed.