A Semi-Parametric Geographically Weighted Regression Approach to Exploring Driving Factors of Fractional Vegetation Cover: A Case Study of Guangdong

Yuhao Jin, Han Zhang, Yuchao Yan and Peitong Cong
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Yuhao Jin: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Han Zhang: Key Lab of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Yuchao Yan: Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Peitong Cong: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: Ecological degradation caused by rapid urbanisation has presented great challenges in southern China. Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) has long been the most common and sensitive index to describe vegetation growth and to monitor vegetation degradation. However, most of the studies have failed to adequately explore the complexity of the relationship between fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and impact factors. In this research, we first constructed a Semi-parametric Geographically Weighted Regression (SGWR) model to analyse both the stationary and nonstationary spatial relationships between FVC and driving factors in Guangdong province in southern China on a county level. Then, climate, topographic, land cover, and socio-economic factors were introduced into the model to distinguish impacts on FVC from 2000–2015. Results suggest that the positive and negative effects of rainfall and elevation coefficients alternated, and local urban land and population estimates indicated a negative association between FVC and the modelled factors in each period. The SGWR FVC make significantly improves performance of the geographically weighted regression and ordinary least squares models, with adjusted R 2 higher than 0.78. The findings of this research demonstrated that, although urbanisation in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong has encroached on the regional vegetation cover, the total vegetation area remained unchanged with the implementation of protection policies and regulations.

Keywords: fractional vegetation cover; geographically weighted regression; multi-driving factors; Google Earth Engine; Guangdong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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