Influence of Surface Water on Desert Vegetation Expansion at the Landscape Scale: A Case Study of the Daliyabuyi Oasis, Taklamakan Desert

Hao Li, Qingdong Shi, Yanbo Wan, Haobo Shi and Bilal Imin
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Hao Li: College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Qingdong Shi: College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Yanbo Wan: College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Haobo Shi: College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Bilal Imin: College of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: Surface water is an important factor affecting vegetation change in desert areas. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of surface water on vegetation expansion. In this study, the annual spatial distribution range of vegetation and surface water in the Daliyabuyi Oasis from 1990 to 2020 was extracted using Landsat time-series images. Based on multi-temporal and multi-scale remote sensing images, several plots were selected to demonstrate the process of landform change and vegetation expansion, and the influence of surface water on vegetation expansion was analyzed. The results show that the vegetation distribution and surface water coverage have increased from 1990 to 2020; and surface water is a critical factor that drives the expansion of vegetation. On the one hand, surface water in the study area was essential for reshaping the riparian landform, driving the transformation of dunes into floodplains, and increasing the potential colonization sites for vegetation. However, landform changes ultimately changed the redistribution of surface water, ensuring that enough water and nutrients provided by sediment were available for plant growth. Our study provides a critical reference for the restoration of desert vegetation and the sustainable development of oases.

Keywords: Daliyabuyi Oasis; surface water; vegetation expansion; landform; landscape (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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