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Spatial-temporal changes and driving factors of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region of China

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Abstract

Eco-environmental quality is a measure of the suitability of the ecological environment for human survival and socioeconomic development. Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution and variation trend of eco-environmental quality is essential for environmental protection and ecological balance. The remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) can quickly and objectively quantify eco-environmental quality and has been extensively utilized in regional ecological environment assessment. In this paper, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images during the growing period (July–September) from 2000 to 2020 were obtained from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to calculate the RSEI in the three northern regions of China (the Three-North region). The Theil-Sen median trend method combined with the Mann-Kendall test was used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation trend of eco-environmental quality, and the Hurst exponent and the Theil-Sen median trend were superimposed to predict the future evolution trend of eco-environmental quality. In addition, ten variables from two categories of natural and anthropogenic factors were analyzed to determine the drivers of the spatial differentiation of eco-environmental quality by the geographical detector. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the RSEI in the Three-North region exhibited obvious regional characteristics: the RSEI values in Northwest China were generally between 0.2 and 0.4; the RSEI values in North China gradually increased from north to south, ranging from 0.2 to 0.8; and the RSEI values in Northeast China were mostly above 0.6. The average RSEI value in the Three-North region increased at an average growth rate of 0.0016/a, showing the spatial distribution characteristics of overall improvement and local degradation in eco-environmental quality, of which the areas with improved, basically stable and degraded eco-environmental quality accounted for 65.39%, 26.82% and 7.79% of the total study area, respectively. The Hurst exponent of the RSEI ranged from 0.20 to 0.76 and the future trend of eco-environmental quality was generally consistent with the trend over the past 21 years. However, the areas exhibiting an improvement trend in eco-environmental quality mainly had weak persistence, and there was a possibility of degradation in eco-environmental quality without strengthening ecological protection. Average relative humidity, accumulated precipitation and land use type were the dominant factors driving the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region, and two-factor interaction also had a greater influence on eco-environmental quality than single factors. The explanatory power of meteorological factors on the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality was stronger than that of topographic factors. The effect of anthropogenic factors (such as population density and land use type) on eco-environmental quality gradually increased over time. This study can serve as a reference to protect the ecological environment in arid and semi-arid regions.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971578), the Scientific Research Fund of Changsha Science and Technology Bureau (kq2004095), the National Bureau to Combat Desertification, State Forestry Administration of China (101–9899), the Training Fund of Young Professors from Hunan Provincial Education Department (90102–7070220090001) and the Postgraduate Scientific Research Innovation Project of Hunan Province (CX20220707). We also thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center of Forestry Remote Sensing & Information Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China

    Yi Long, Fugen Jiang, Muli Deng, Tianhong Wang & Hua Sun

  2. Key Laboratory of Forestry Remote Sensing Based Big Data & Ecological Security for Hunan Province, Changsha, 410004, China

    Yi Long, Fugen Jiang, Muli Deng, Tianhong Wang & Hua Sun

  3. Key Laboratory of National Forestry & Grassland Administration on Forest Resources Management and Monitoring in Southern Area, Changsha, 410004, China

    Yi Long, Fugen Jiang, Muli Deng, Tianhong Wang & Hua Sun

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  1. Yi Long
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  2. Fugen Jiang
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  3. Muli Deng
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  4. Tianhong Wang
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  5. Hua Sun
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Correspondence to Hua Sun.

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Long, Y., Jiang, F., Deng, M. et al. Spatial-temporal changes and driving factors of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region of China. J. Arid Land 15, 231–252 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-023-0053-0

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