NDVI-Based Analysis on the Influence of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation Restoration in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Region, Central China

Abstract

Abstract:In recent decades, climate change has affected vegetation growth in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation cover on the Loess Plateau's Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region in central China using MODIS-NDVI data for 2000-2014. We examined the roles of regional climate change and human activities in vegetation restoration, particularly from 1999 when conversion of sloping farmland to forestland or grassland began under the national Grain-for-Green program. Our results indicated a general upward trend in average NDVI values in the study area. The region's annual growth rate greatly exceeded those of the Three-North Shelter Forest, the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the Qinling-Daba Mountains, and the Three-River Headwater region. The green vegetation zone has been annually extending from the southeast toward the northwest, with about 97. 11164of ecological engineering projects. Under favorable climatic conditions, increasing local vegetation cover is primarily attributable to ecosystem reconstruction projects. However, our findings indicate a growing risk of vegetation degradation in the northern part of Shaanxi Province as a result of energy production facilities and chemical industry infrastructure, and increasing exploitation of mineral resources.

When and where did the Loess Plateau turn “green”? Analysis of the tendency and breakpoints of the normalized difference vegetation index

“…On the reasons for the vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau in the last decade, many studies also argued that it was the comprehensive effects of climate change and human activities. S. S. Li, Yang, Liu, Liu, and Shi () argued the vegetation restoration in Shaanxi‐Gansu‐Ningxia region was because greater precipitation occurred at a later stage of ecological engineering, and Y. R. Li et al () argued that the vegetation restoration in Mu Us Sandy Land was the joint effects of climate change, ecological restoration, and agricultural activities. This paper analysed the driving forces regionally.…”

Peatland degradation: The relationship between raised bog hydrology and normalized difference vegetation index

“…NDVI fluctuates due to favourable or unfavourable weather and environmental conditions (Dąbrowska-Zielińska, Ciołkosz, Malińska, & Bartold, 2011; Dąbrowska-Zielińska, Kogan, Ciolkosz, Gruszczynska, & Kowalik, 2002;Kogan, 1997). NDVI has been widely used to estimate the influence of climatic conditions on vegetation activities globally (Ichii, Kawabata, & Yamaguchi, 2002) and in different regions (Ivanovs & Lupikis, 2018;Li, Yang, Liu, Liu, & Shi, 2015;Sağır, Le Coz, Kurtuluş, & Razack, 2017;Usman, Yelwa, Gulumbe, & Danbaba, 2013). NDVI has been widely used to estimate the influence of climatic conditions on vegetation activities globally (Ichii, Kawabata, & Yamaguchi, 2002) and in different regions (Ivanovs & Lupikis, 2018;Li, Yang, Liu, Liu, & Shi, 2015;Sağır, Le Coz, Kurtuluş, & Razack, 2017;Usman, Yelwa, Gulumbe, & Danbaba, 2013).…”

A System Analysis on Steppe Sustainability and Its Driving Forces—A Case Study in China

“…This demonstrated that the land use by urban expansion was controlled effectively by the steppe protection programs and conservation policies in place in China between 2001-2010 [40,62,64]. However, there was still some steppe degradation caused by building activity [49,63], such as in the Liao River basin [63], as shown in Figures 3 and 5, which indicates that the steppe protection programs and conservation policies should be continued. We found that the effect of deforestation and farming dropped off over the course of the decade, which revealed that the Grain for Green Project has performed well [16,64].…”

“…The most popular methods used recently are to monitor Steppe dynamics with NDVI [17,[41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] and to monitor dynamics of ecosystem productivity with NPP [33,[50][51][52][53][54][55]. In addition, the most important indicator of steppe sustainability is ecosystem productivity; therefore, steppe dynamics has been monitored with NDVI, and the dynamics of steppe sustainability were assessed with NPP in this study.…”