Normalized difference vegetation index dynamic change and its driving factor analysis with long time series in the Jinghe River watershed on the Loess Plateau of China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00511

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims As a typical region of soil erosion on the Loess Plateau, the Jinghe River watershed has had long-term land exploitation and soil erosion. Our objective was to study trends in the change of vegetation cover and to explore driving factors, including both climatic and anthropogenic aspects.
Methods We calculated normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trends using GIMMS NDVI data from 1982 to 2005 in the Jinghe River watershed. Its trends were compared with precipitation and air temperature trends calculated from climate data from the 19 meteorological stations in the watershed. A 3 × 3 pixel buffer area centered on each station was used to analyze relationships between climate and vegetation. Anthropogenic factors were represented by land use data obtained from the Resource-Environment Database of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We analyzed the proportion of each land type in areas of different NDVI trends to illustrate the effects of human activities.
Important findings NDVI had no significant trends in 79.64% of the Jinghe River watershed in the 24-year period. NDVI had significant positive trends in 16.33% of the area, located in the middle and southern parts of the watershed. NDVI had significant negative trends in 4.03% of the area, located in the northern part of the watershed. Precipitation had no significant trends, and temperature had significant positive trends forall of the 19 weather stations. The spatial differences of NDVI trends could not explained by changes in precipitation and air temperature. The anthropogenic factors seemed more important. Land use analysis indicated that the percentages of land use types in areas of different NDVI trends changed little. Plantation was dominant in the area where NDVI had significant positive trends, and grassland was dominant in the area where NDVI had significant negative trends. Results suggest that the changes in plantations resulted in the significant positive trends of NDVI, and woodland loss and grassland degeneration resulted in the significant negative trends of NDVI.

Key words: climate, land use, Jinghe River watershed, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), trend analysis, vegetation cover

SUN Xiao-Peng, WANG Tian-Ming, KOU Xiao-Jun, GE Jian-Ping. Normalized difference vegetation index dynamic change and its driving factor analysis with long time series in the Jinghe River watershed on the Loess Plateau of China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2012, 36(6): 511-521.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00511

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2012/V36/I6/511

Figures/Tables 6

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站点编号 Station code	站点名称 Station name	NDVI趋势 NDVI trend	降水趋势 P trend	气温趋势 T trend	相关系数 Correlation coefficient
站点编号 Station code	站点名称 Station name	NDVI趋势 NDVI trend	降水趋势 P trend	气温趋势 T trend	r_NDVI_-_P	r_NDVI_-_T
53821	环县 Huanxian	-	+	+^**	0.6205^*	-0.3899
53829	庆阳 Qingyang	+	-	+^**	0.3764	-0.1807
53915	平凉 Pingliang	+	+	+^**	0.4417^*	0.0050
53923	西峰 Xifeng	+	+	+^**	0.3545	-0.1672
53924	灵台 Lingtai	+^*	-	+^**	0.4631^*	0.2400
53925	镇原 Zhenyuan	+	+	+^**	0.3725	-0.0002
53926	泾川 Jingchuan	+^**	-	+^*	0.4512^*	0.0367
53927	华亭 Huating	-	-	+^**	0.3920	-0.4566^*
53928	崇信 Chongxin	+	+	+^**	0.5196^*	0.0073
53929	长武 Changwu	+	-	+^**	0.4392^*	-0.1045
53930	华池 Huachi	-	+	+^**	0.3514	-0.4181^*
53934	合水 Heshui	+	+	+^**	0.4352^*	0.0788
53935	正宁 Zhengning	+	-	+^**	-0.0156	0.2346
53937	宁县 Ningxian	+^*	-	+^**	0.4052^*	0.2305
53938	旬邑 Xunyi	+^**	-	+^*	0.1580	0.1565
57023	彬县 Binxian	+	-	+^**	0.3563	0.0356
57029	礼泉 Liquan	+	-	+^**	0.2643	0.0235
57030	永寿 Yongshou	+^**	-	+^**	0.0117	0.3140
57033	泾阳 Jingyang	-	-	+^**	0.1206	-0.2314

站点编号 Station code	站点名称 Station name	NDVI趋势 NDVI trend	降水趋势 P trend	气温趋势 T trend	相关系数 Correlation coefficient
站点编号 Station code	站点名称 Station name	NDVI趋势 NDVI trend	降水趋势 P trend	气温趋势 T trend	r_NDVI_-_P	r_NDVI_-_T
53821	环县 Huanxian	-	+	+^**	0.6205^*	-0.3899
53829	庆阳 Qingyang	+	-	+^**	0.3764	-0.1807
53915	平凉 Pingliang	+	+	+^**	0.4417^*	0.0050
53923	西峰 Xifeng	+	+	+^**	0.3545	-0.1672
53924	灵台 Lingtai	+^*	-	+^**	0.4631^*	0.2400
53925	镇原 Zhenyuan	+	+	+^**	0.3725	-0.0002
53926	泾川 Jingchuan	+^**	-	+^*	0.4512^*	0.0367
53927	华亭 Huating	-	-	+^**	0.3920	-0.4566^*
53928	崇信 Chongxin	+	+	+^**	0.5196^*	0.0073
53929	长武 Changwu	+	-	+^**	0.4392^*	-0.1045
53930	华池 Huachi	-	+	+^**	0.3514	-0.4181^*
53934	合水 Heshui	+	+	+^**	0.4352^*	0.0788
53935	正宁 Zhengning	+	-	+^**	-0.0156	0.2346
53937	宁县 Ningxian	+^*	-	+^**	0.4052^*	0.2305
53938	旬邑 Xunyi	+^**	-	+^*	0.1580	0.1565
57023	彬县 Binxian	+	-	+^**	0.3563	0.0356
57029	礼泉 Liquan	+	-	+^**	0.2643	0.0235
57030	永寿 Yongshou	+^**	-	+^**	0.0117	0.3140
57033	泾阳 Jingyang	-	-	+^**	0.1206	-0.2314