Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 639-649.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.04.10

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Dynamic change characteristics and driving forces of vegetation cover in the Ulan Buhe Desert along the Yellow River

ZHAO Dongying(), MENG Zhongju(), MENG Ruibing, MA Ze   

  1. College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2023-04-26 Revised:2023-10-20 Online:2024-04-15 Published:2024-04-26

Abstract:

Based on Landsat imagery data from 2001 to 2021, the NDVI and image dichotomous model were used to estimate vegetation cover and explore the spatial and temporal trends and driving forces of vegetation cover in the Ulan Buhe Desert along the Yellow River. This study aimed to provide a theoretical basis for the restoration of vegetation in the Ulan Buhe Desert along the Yellow River and the selection of key areas for future ecological construction. The results showed that (1) the overall vegetation cover in the study area showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the vegetation restoration status was good. The average vegetation cover increased from 0.294 to 0.526, and this increase was most evident from 2007 to 2017. (2) From 2001 to 2021, the transformation of areas regarding levels of vegetation cover in the Ulan Buhe Desert along the Yellow River was more frequent where large areas of 102.00 km2 and 128.82 km2, respectively, transformed from low and lower vegetation cover to medium and higher vegetation cover, respectively. In addition, the vegetation cover in 42.1% of the study area tended to increase significantly, mainly in the near Dengkou section, whereas that in 4.90% of the area tended to decrease significantly, mostly near the Wuhai section, which should be the key area of concern in future ecological restoration efforts. (3) The spatial variability of vegetation cover in this area is mainly driven by human activities and climate factors. The interaction between the driving factors is mainly enhanced by two factors, among which the key interaction factors with the highest degree of influence are land use type and annual average temperature. In this study, the dynamic change characteristics and driving forces of vegetation cover in the Ulan Buhe Desert along the Yellow River were studied in a systematic and stepwise manner, providing theoretical and empirical support for desertification control, rational land use and high-quality development in the study area.

Key words: vegetation coverage, temporal and spatial variation, driving factor, Ulan Buhe Desert