Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Rocky Desertification in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, China

Shiwen Wu, Chenglong Li, Hongliang Wang, Zhiqi Wang, Haodong Ji, Zhanping Zhang (), Yechen Zhang, Wenhui Hao and Yu Song
Additional contact information
Shiwen Wu: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Chenglong Li: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Hongliang Wang: China South-to-North Water Diversion JiangHan Water Network Construction and Development Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430048, China
Zhiqi Wang: China South-to-North Water Diversion Corporation Eco-Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., Beijing 102308, China
Haodong Ji: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Zhanping Zhang: School of Human Settlements, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yechen Zhang: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Wenhui Hao: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Yu Song: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-19

Abstract: Rocky desertification in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area, the core water source of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, constitutes a significant ecological threat, primarily driven by historical deforestation and agricultural expansion. To addressing the previous lack of comprehensive evaluation and spatiotemporal analysis of rocky desertification in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area, this study utilized Google Earth Engine (GEE) and GeoDetector to analyze its evolution and driving factors from 1995 to 2022. The results indicated an overall improvement, with a 1002.02 km 2 decrease in the desertification-prone area and an expansion of 26,077.31 km 2 in the non-desertified area. However, desertification remains severe in the western and southeastern regions, while the northeastern and central areas showed relative stability. Notably, desertified areas decreased substantially between 1995 and 2022, reflecting the effectiveness of ecological restoration efforts. Key driving factors include potential evapotranspiration (PET), landform, elevation, and temperature, with interactions between PET and environmental variables exhibiting strong explanatory power. These findings highlight the complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors in desertification dynamics. Continuing human intervention is essential to restore vegetation, mitigate soil erosion risks, and ensure the long-term stability of the reservoir’s water resources.

Keywords: Danjiangkou Reservoir area; rocky desertification; spatial and temporal changes; driving factors; GEE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/21/9748/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/21/9748/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:21:p:9748-:d:1784903

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().