Analysis of Ecological Environment Changes and Influencing Factors in the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River Based on the Remote Sensing Ecological Index

Xianghua Tang, Ting Zhou, Chunlin Huang (), Tianwen Feng and Qiang Bie
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Xianghua Tang: Faculty of Geomatics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Ting Zhou: Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing of Gansu Province, Heihe Remote Sensing Experimental Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Chunlin Huang: Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing of Gansu Province, Heihe Remote Sensing Experimental Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Tianwen Feng: Faculty of Geomatics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Qiang Bie: Faculty of Geomatics, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: The Upper Yellow River Region plays an irreplaceable role in water conservation and ecological protection in China. Due to both natural and human-induced factors, this area has experienced significant grassland deterioration, land desertification, and salinization. Consequently, evaluating the region’s environmental status plays a vital role in promoting ecological conservation and sustainable growth in the Upper Yellow River Basin. This study constructed an ecological index based on remote-sensing data and examined its spatiotemporal changes from 1990 to 2020. Future ecological dynamics were predicted using the Hurst index, while key influencing factors were examined through an optimal-parameter-based GeoDetector and geographically weighted regression. The findings revealed the following: (1) RSEI values were generally lower in the north and increased progressively toward the south, indicating a notable spatial disparity. (2) Ecological conditions remained largely stable, with notable improvements observed in 65.47% of the study area. (3) It was anticipated that 52.76% of the region would continue to improve, whereas 24% is expected to experience further degradation. (4) Precipitation, temperature, elevation, and land cover were major factors contributing to ecological variation. Their impact on ecological quality varies across different geographic locations. These research findings provided references for the sustainable development and ecological civilization construction of the Upper Yellow River Region.

Keywords: Upper Yellow River Basin; environmental quality assessment; Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI); spatiotemporal changes; influence mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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