Temporal—Spatial Changes in Vegetation Coverage under Climate Change and Human Activities: A Case Study of Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration, China

Yijiao Li, Yuhong Song (), Xiaozhu Cao, Linyun Huang and Jianqun Zhu
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Yijiao Li: College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Yuhong Song: College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Xiaozhu Cao: College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Linyun Huang: College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Jianqun Zhu: College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-25

Abstract: Analyzing vegetation cover provides a basis for detecting ecological and environmental health in urban areas. We analyzed the temporal and spatial changes in vegetation cover using NDVI data from the central Yunnan urban agglomeration (CYUA). The dimidiate pixel model (DPM) and intensity analysis were used to study changes at three levels: time intervals, category, and transition. Analysis of time series data from 1990–2020 using the Theil–Sen Median with Mann–Kendal test identified the overall trends. Geodetector explored the relationship between natural and human factors in vegetation cover change. The CYUA’s vegetation cover gradually decreases from west to east and south to north, with middle–high and high vegetation occupying over 55%. During 1990–2020, significant improvement was observed in the east and north regions, with an increase of 22.49%. The anthropogenic core area showed severe degradation with nearly 1.56% coverage. The transformation intensity of middle vegetation coverage was dominant from 1990–2010 but was replaced by middle–high vegetation coverage from 2010–2020. Meanwhile, high vegetation coverage became the most prominent gains target, and the conversion of middle–high to high vegetation showed a system tendency to exceed the average in absolute number and relative intensity. Spatial and temporal differences in vegetation cover were mostly affected by land cover (q = 0.4726, p < 0.001), and the most influential topographic factor was the slope (q = 0.1491, p < 0.001). The impact of human activities has increased to 16%, double that of 2000. The CYUA’s vegetation cover improved more than it degraded, but required site-specific forest management due to human activities.

Keywords: central Yunnan urban agglomeration (CYUA); urban green space (UGS); FVC (fractional vegetation cover); spatial and temporal change; intensity analysis; GeoDetector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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