Spatio-Temporal Processes and Characteristics of Vegetation Recovery in the Earthquake Area: A Case Study of Wenchuan, China

Jingzhong Li, Xiao Xie, Bingyu Zhao, Xiao Xiao and Bing Xue
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Jingzhong Li: School of Urban and Environment Sciences, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, China
Xiao Xie: Weifang Institute of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Weifang 261041, China
Bingyu Zhao: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Xiao Xiao: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Bing Xue: Weifang Institute of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Weifang 261041, China

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The quantitative and qualitative assessment of post-disaster vegetation damage and recovery in the core area of the Wenchuan earthquake is of great significance for the restoration and reconstruction of natural ecosystems and the construction of human settlements in China. This study used time series analysis to determine the time of MODIS data and used the data to study the vegetation damage and restoration in the core area of the Wenchuan earthquake. The determined MODIS images were used to quantitatively analyze a series of vegetation damage changes and the vegetation recovery rate in the core area of the Wenchuan earthquake before and after the earthquake. By applying the topographic factors, we analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of the dynamic changes of vegetation damage and the recovery rate in the disaster area. The results show that the study area’s vegetation damage was correlated to topographic factors and distance from towns. Besides, the overall vegetation restoration after the disaster was relatively optimistic. In some areas, the vegetation restoration level even exceeded the vegetation coverage level before the disaster. The recovery study of MODIS-NDVI showed a specific lag delay effect on the image of vegetation cover. The vegetation damage and the recovery rate of vegetation cover were significantly correlated with the distance from towns and the topographic factor. Overall, the results contribute to the theoretical support for the damage and recovery of vegetation in the core area affected by the earthquake.

Keywords: vegetation damage and coverage; vegetation restoration rate; earthquake affected area; normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); topographic factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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