Performance of the ecosystem demography model (EDv2.2) in simulating gross primary production capacity and activity in a dryland study area

•Performance of the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model in drylands is evaluated.•The EDv2.2 model captures the GPP capacity at the low productive site and years.•The simulated GPP follows the general trend of GPP estimated from satellites.•The model exaggerates the greening and senescing trends.•EDv2.2 model needs improvement in representing the heterogeneity of drylands.