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Spatiotemporal change of vegetation coverage recovery and its driving factors in the Wenchuan earthquake-hit areas

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Abstract

Vegetation coverage recovery after the Wenchuan earthquake has important implications for preventing post-seismic geohazards and soil erosion. However, spatiotemporal changes in vegetation coverage recovery and its driving factors have not been sufficiently studied in the quake-hit areas. This paper aims to analyze vegetation coverage recovery and its driving factors in the quake-hit areas using monadic linear regression, coefficient of variation, and geographical detector. First, we used Moderateresolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data to calculate the vegetation coverage from 2008 to 2018 in the quake-hit areas. Second, we assessed the trend and stability of vegetation recovery in the quake-hit areas based on vegetation coverage. Finally, combined with topography, climate, soil type, vegetation type, and human activities in the quake-hit areas, the driving factors affecting vegetation coverage recovery were analyzed. The results showed that the vegetation coverage level in the quake-hit areas recovered about 90% of that before the earthquake. Vegetation coverage recovery was mainly improved in a stepwise manner: increasing and then stabilizing, then increasing and stabilizing again. Elevation, soil type, and road density were the main factors affecting vegetation coverage recovery, and the interaction among all factors positively strengthened their impacts on vegetation coverage recovery. In addition, the results also revealed the categories that were conducive to vegetation coverage recovery among the same environmental factors and can provide a scientific reference for vegetation coverage recovery in the quake-hit areas.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported and funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42074021), Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province (Grant No. 20ZDYF1142; Grant No. 2020JDTD0003), China Scholarship Council (CSC No. 202007000081), and Science and Technology Bureau of Nanchong City (Grant Nos. 20YFZJ0029 and 19SXHZ0039). Linguo Yuan is funded by the National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, China

    Xiao-fei Sun, Lin-guo Yuan & Ping Zhong

  2. College of Earth Science, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Huai-yong Shao

  3. Natural Resources and Planning Bureau of Nanchong, Nanchong, 637000, China

    Ying-zhi Zhou & Xian-feng Li

  4. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, 117570, Singapore

    Xiao-fei Sun

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  1. Xiao-fei Sun
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  2. Lin-guo Yuan
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Correspondence to Lin-guo Yuan.

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Sun, Xf., Yuan, Lg., Zhou, Yz. et al. Spatiotemporal change of vegetation coverage recovery and its driving factors in the Wenchuan earthquake-hit areas. J. Mt. Sci. 18, 2854–2869 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-021-6879-z

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