Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2024, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (11): 1471-1485.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2023.0371  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2023.0371

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Vegetation mapping of Beishan Mountain in Jinhua, Zhejiang, based on high-resolution remote sensing image and intensive vegetation survey

ZHENG Ya-Wen1, FAN Hai-Dong1, LIU Li-Bin1,2, NI Jian1,2,*()()   

  1. 1College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
    2Jinhua Mountain Observation and Research Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystems, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
  • Received:2023-12-11 Accepted:2024-09-28 Online:2024-11-20 Published:2024-09-29
  • Contact: *NI Jian (nijian@zjnu.edu.cn)
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870462)

Abstract:

Aims Vegetation map illustrates the vegetation types and their spatial distribution patterns of a given area, which is an important foundation for investigating fundamental ecology such as vegetation feature and biodiversity study, as well as applied ecology such as vegetation restoration and management. The aim of this research is to chart a high-resolution local vegetation map of Beishan Mountain in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, a middle subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest region in eastern China.

Methods A digital vegetation map with very high spatial resolution at the 1:60 000 scale in a 65.5 km² area in the middle part of the southern slope of Beishan Mountain in Jinhua was produced, based on high-resolution of 1-4 m satellite (GF-2) remote sensing images and intensive field vegetation surveys of 3 774 sites and 24 plots. The Geographical Information System (ArcGIS) and remote sensing image processing software (ENVI) were further utilized to conduct the mapping.

Important findings 1) High-resolution remote sensing images and a large quantity of vegetation records characterized the vegetation pattern on the southern slope of Beishan Mountain in Jinhua. The vegetation was divided into 7 Vegetation Formation Groups, 22 Vegetation Formations, 25 Vegetation Subformations, 60 Alliance Groups, and 76 Alliances. 2) In the 65.5 km2area on the southern slope of Beishan Mountain in Jinhua, the vegetation coverage of mapping area is about 93.0%. Among these vegetation areas, forest (66.1%), agricultural vegetation (14.7%) and shrubland (10.5%) are the main three vegetation types. 3) The three widely distributed alliances are Pinus massoniana forest in an area of 10.6 km2 and distributed below 900 m in altitude, Pinus massoniana - deciduous broadleaf mixed forest in an area of 7.4 km2 and distributed between 108 and 946 m, and Schima superba forest in an area of 5.3 km2 and distributed in 100-1 037 m. This is a case study of vegetation mapping at a big mapping scale. Such study can provide fundamental data for the high-resolution regional and national vegetation mappings at multiple scales, research of vegetation science, and vegetation service and management.

Key words: evergreen broadleaf forest, vegetation map, remote sensing, vegetation classification, regional vegetation distribution