Identification of Vegetation Coverage Variation and Quantitative the Impact of Environmental Factors on Its Spatial Distribution in the Pisha Sandstone Area

Lu Jia, Kunxia Yu (), Zhanbin Li, Zongping Ren, Hongtao Li and Peng Li
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Lu Jia: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Kunxia Yu: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Zhanbin Li: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Zongping Ren: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China
Hongtao Li: Northwest Surveying, Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Xi’an 710048, China
Peng Li: State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: Over the past few decades, global vegetation cover has obviously changed, particularly in the Loess Plateau, due to vegetation restoration projects in China. This study focuses on the Pisha Sandstone area (PSA) and uses various statistical analysis methods to study the spatiotemporal changes in vegetation coverage (VEC) at different time scales. The effects of topographical and climatic factors on VEC were also quantitatively evaluated using the GeoDetector in the spatial distribution. The results of the study confirm that, on an annual scale, the area with a significant increase in VEC has reached 63.89% ( p < 0.05). Change points were diagnosed to have occurred mainly between 2002 and 2012 at different time scales, with the percentage of significant change points in VEC accounting for more than 20% from April to October ( p < 0.05). Temporal and spatial changes in precipitation mainly caused VEC changes. In 45.35% of the region, precipitation was significantly and positively correlated with VEC at an annual scale ( p < 0.05). Moreover, VEC was most conducive to growth and increase at 1050–1500 m above sea level and 0–21° slope, respectively. In most areas, there was an enhanced interaction relationship between various factors on VEC. Converting farmland to forests in suitable areas, selecting appropriate tree species, and improving soil is conducive to ecological restoration in the PSA in the future.

Keywords: Loess Plateau; Pisha Sandstone area; vegetation coverage; environmental factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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