Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Desertification assessments in the Hexi corridor of northern China’s Gansu Province by remote sensing

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Hexi corridor region lies in the arid and semiarid regions of Gansu Province, China. The sensitive ecological environment has undergone severe desertification caused by natural environmental change and unsustainable exploitation of the region. Remote sensing and GIS are being used to study desertification in this region. In this paper, we used Landsat TM and HJ data between June and August in 2000, 2005, and 2010 to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of the desertification using five indices: the modified soil-adjusted vegetation index, fractional vegetation cover, the surface albedo, land surface temperature, and the temperature–vegetation drought index. We normalized the indicators, determined their weights, and defined five grades of desertification: none, light, moderate, severe, and extremely severe. We found that desertification in the Hexi corridor covered more than 76 % of the total land area; the total area of desertified land was 22.02 × 104, 21.22 × 104, and 21.06 × 104 km2 in 2000, 2005, and 2010, respectively, which amounted to 79.8, 76.9, and 76.3 % of the total area. In both periods, the most spatial changes in desertification showed a stability or reversal of desertification from 2000 to 2005 and from 2005 to 2010. From 2000 to 2010, the area in which desertification reversed (1.00 × 104 km2) was a little more than the area of newly desertified land (0.96 × 104 km2). The reversal of desertification mainly involved a change from severely and moderately desertified land to non-desertified land. Natural factor and human activity controlled the desertification process, but the reversal of desertification mainly resulted from human activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adamo SB, Crews-Meyer KA (2006) Aridity and desertification: exploring environmental hazards in Jáchal, Argentina. Appl Geogr 26:61–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agrawal G, Bhopal M, Sarup J (2011) Comparison of QUAC and FLASSH atmospheric correction modules on EO-1 hyperion data of Sanchi. Int J Adv Eng Technol 4:178–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnalds A (2004) Desertification in a humid environment: an example from Iceland. Encyclopedia of soil science, Taylor & Francis, p 6

  • China National Committee for the Implementation of the UNCCD (CCICCD) (2006) China National Report on the Implementation of the United Nation’s Convention to Combat Desertification. Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Dall-Olmo G, Karnieli A (2002) Monitoring phenological cycles of desert ecosystems using NDVI and LST data derived from NOAA-AVHRR imagery. Int J Remote Sens 23(19):4055–4071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding H, Chen J, Wang G (2009) A model for desertification evolution employing GIS with cellular automata. In: International conference on computer modeling and simulation, Macau, China, 20–22 Feb 2009. IEEE 2009, pp 324–328

  • Dong PH (2009) Evaluation on the water-land resource of space layout and constitution in Gansu Province. Arid Land Geogr 32(6):834–840 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dregne H, Kassas M, Rozanov B (1991) A new assessment of the world status of desertification. Desertif Control Bull 20:6–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Du HL, Gao QZ, Li FX (1996) Trend analysis of surface water resource and dynamics in the interior drainage basins of Hexi area. Resour Sci 2:44–54 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang CL, Sun XL (2006) Mechanism of urban system development and its space organization in northwest arid area with scarcity of water resource—the case of Hexi Corridor. J Desert Research 26(5):860–868 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gansu Development Yearbook (2013) China Statistics Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Gao ZH, Ding F, Wei HD (2001) Actualities, cause and control of desertification in Hexi Region, Gansu Province. J Nat Disasters 10(4):70–75 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge XD, Ni JR, Li ZS, Hu RG, Ming X, Ye Q (2013) Quantifying the synergistic effect of the precipitation and land use on sandy desertification at county level: a case study in Naiman Banner, northern China. J Environ Manage 123:34–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geist HJ, Lambin EF (2004) Dynamic causal patterns of desertification. Bioscience 54:817–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han Z (2003) The evolution of the Mao wusu Desert and the reclamation in the adjacent areas in the Ming Dynasty. China Soc Sci 5:191–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Han LY, Han T, Zhang ZC, Liang Y, Li MX (2009) Water resource and ecological environment remote sense monitor analysis over 10 years in Shiyanghe River Basin. Pratac Sci 10:46–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Han LY, Wan X, Fang F, Zhang ZC (2013) Desertification assessments of Hexi regions in Gansu province by remote sensing. Arid Land Geogr 36:131–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Han XX, Chen XL, Qin C, Feng L, Tian LQ (2014) Study on drought monitoring based on HJ-1A/1B image case of Panyanglake watershed. J Huazhong Normal Univ (Nat Sci) 48:274–278

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu GY, Dong ZB, Lu JF, Yan CZ (2012) Driving forces responsible for aeolian desertification in the source region of the Yangtze River from 1975 to 2005. Environ Earth Sci 66:257–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang ES, Li X, Zhang JS, Hu XL (2004) Water Resources Relating to Desertification in the Hexi Area of Gansu Province, China. J Glaciol Geocryol 26(6):657–667 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassas M (1995) Desertification: a general review. J Arid Environ 30:115–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li BL, Zhou CH (2001) Sandy desertification in west of Northeast China Plain in the past 10 years. Acta Geogr Sin 56(3):307–315 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Zheng Y, Luo P, Wang X (2007) Desertification in western Hainan Island, China (1959 to 2003). Land Degrad Dev 18:473–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li ZG, Wang YL, Zhou QB, Wu JS, Peng J, Chang HF (2008) Spatiotemporal variability of land surface moisture based on vegetation and temperature characteristics in Northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau, China. J Arid Environ 72(6):974–985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JY, Yang XC, Jin YX, Yang Z, Huang WG, Zhao LN, Gao T, Yu HD, Ma HL, Qin ZH, Xu B (2013) Monitoring and analysis of grassland desertification dynamics using Landsat images in Ningxia, China. Remote Sens Environ 138:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu SL, Wang T (2007) Aeolian desertification from the mid-1970s to 2005 in Otindag Sandy Land, Northern China. Environ Geol 51:1057–1064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Gao J, Yang Y (2003) A holistic approach towards assessment of severity of land degradation along the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi province, China. Environ Monit Assess 82:187–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo F, Qi SZ, Xiao HL (2005) Landscape change and sandy desertification in arid areas: a case study in the Zhangye Region of Gansu Province, China. Environ Geol 49:90–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo JH, Zhang JC, Huang WJ, Yang GJ, Gu XH, Yang H, Huang WJ (2010) The analysis of consistency between HJ-1 B and Landsat 5 TM for retrieving LST based on the single-channel algorithm. Spectrosc Spectr Anal 30(12):3285–3289

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma JH, Xiao T (2007) Qualified evaluating on the remote sensing of desertification—a case study of the Erdos region. J Lanzhou Univ (Nat Sci) 43(4):1–6 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma JZ, Wang XS, Edmunds WM (2005) The characteristics of groundwater resources and their changes under the impacts of human activity in the arid Northwest China—a case study of the Shiyang River Basin. J Arid Environ 61:277–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Middleton N, Thomas DSG (1997) world atlas of desertification. Edward Arnold, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasrallah HA, Balling RCJ (1993) Spatial and temporal analysis of Middle Eastern temperature changes. Clim Change 25:153–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Navas A, Machin J (1997) Assessing erosion risk in the gypsiferous steppe of Litigio (NE Spain). An approach using GIS. J Arid Environ 37:433–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niu BR (2005) Study on quantitative extraction of desertification degree information from remote sensing information. J Catastrophol 20(1):18–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Salvati L, Zitti M, Ceccarelli T (2008) Integrating economic and environmental indicators in the assessment of desertification risk: a case study. Appl Ecol Environ Res 6:129–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santini M, Caccamo G, Laurenti A, Noce S, Valentini R (2010) A multi-component GIS framework for desertification risk assessment by an integrated index. Appl Geogr 30:394–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shalaby A, Tateishi R (2007) Remote sensing and GIS for mapping and monitoring land cover and land-use changes in the Northwestern coastal zone of Egypt. Appl Geogr 27:28–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi JZ, Chen XS, Zhang LS, Li XB, Wei JP (2006) The condition and changing trend analysis of desertification land in Gansu Province. Acta Sci Circumst 26(9):1539–1544 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivakumar MVK (2007) Interactions between climate and desertification. Agric For Meteorol 142:143–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun L, Sun C, Liu Q, Zhong B (2010) Aerosol optical depth retrieval by HJ-1/CCD supported by MODIS surface reflectance data. Sci China Earth 53:74–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNCCD (1994) Elaboration of an international convention to combat desertification in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification and particular in Africa. Final negotiations text of the convention. Unites Nations, Geneva

  • Valle HF, Elissalde NO, Gagliardini DA, Milovich J (1998) Status of desertification in the Patagonian Region: assessing and mapping from satellite imagery. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 12:95–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Vasconcelos M, Mussa-Biai JC, Araujo A, Diniz M (2002) Land cover changes in two protected areas of Guinea-Bissau (1956–1998). Appl Geogr 22:139–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang T (2003) Desert and aeolian desertification in China. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Wang T, Zhu ZD (2003) Study on sandy desertification in China—1. Definition of sandy desertification and its connotation. J Desert Res 3:209–214 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang T, Wu W, Wang XZ (1998) Remote sensing monitoring and assessing sandy desertification: an example from the sandy desertification region of northern China. Quat Sci 2:108–118 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JH, Zhang LS, Shang LZ (2005) Desertification monitoring and its result in Gansu Province. J Desert Res 25(5):775–779 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang XM, Chen FH, Dong ZB (2006) The relative role of climatic and human factors in desertification in semiarid China. Glob Environ Change 16:48–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XM, Cheng FH, Hasi E, Li JC (2008) Desertification in China: an assessment. Earth Sci Rev 88:188–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Wu C, Li Q, Li J (2010) Chinese HJ-1A/B satellites and data characteristics. China Earth Sci 53:51–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang CT, Zhang YJ, Qian ZQ, Chen JX, Cao M (2013a) Surface Albedo estimating based on HJ-1B/CCD. Geogr Geo-Inf Sci 29:12–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang HY, Li XS, Zhang J, Gao ZH (2013b) Accuracy comparison of BJ-1, HJ and Landsat data in the retrieval of grassland vegetation coverage, leaf area index and above ground biomass. Spectrosc Spectr Anal 10:2803–2808

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu W (2001a) Using the TM image for monitoring land desertification. J Desert Res 16(2):86–90 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu W (2001b) Study on desertification process in Mu Us sand land for last 50 years, China. J Desert Res 21(2):164–169 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie JZ (2004) Water resources problems and water-saving strategies in Hexi Corridor. J Desert Res 24(6):802–808 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu DY, Li C, Zhuang D, Pan JJ (2011) Assessment of the relative role of climate change and human activities in desertification: a review. J Geogr Sci 21:926–936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue ZJ, Qin ZD, Li HJ, Ding GW, Meng XW (2013) Evaluation of aeolian desertification from 1975 to 2010 and its causes in northwest Shanxi Province, China. Glob Planet Change 107:102–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng YN, Feng ZD (2007) Spatial and temporal changes of desertification in the headwater area of the Yellow River using remote sensing. Acta Geogr Sin 62(5):529–536 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng YN, Xiang NP, Feng ZD, Xu H (2006) Albedo-NDVI space and remote sensing synthesis index models for desertification monitoring. Sci Geogr Sin 26(1):75–81 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang SB (2007) Research on the eco-system degradation and rehabilitation of Hexi corridor in Gansu Province. Northwest A & F University, Yangling (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YZ, Chen ZY, Zhu BQ, Luo XY, Guan YN, Guo S, Nie YP (2008) Land desertification monitoring and assessment in Yulin of Northwest China using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Environ Monit Assess 147:327–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Wei CJ, Huang LF (2001) Research methods of land use changes and their applications in Hainan Island. Geogr Res 20(6):723–730 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZD, Chen GT (1994) Sandy desertification China. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZD, Liu S (1989) Desertification and its governance in China. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41101007), National Key Research and Development (973) Program of China 2013CB430200 (2013CB430206), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province’s Youth Science and Technology Foundation Project (1208RJYA027) and the key research project of the Gansu Provincial Meteorological Bureau (2010-08 and 2012-11).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Arid Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Key Open Laboratory of Arid Climatic Change and Reducing Disaster of CMA, Key Laboratory of Arid Climatic Change and Reducing Disaster, Lanzhou, 730020, Gansu, People’s Republic of China

    Lanying Han & Qiang Zhang

  2. Northwest Regional Climate Center, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People’s Republic of China

    Lanying Han & Xin Wan

  3. Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 260, West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People’s Republic of China

    Zhengcai Zhang

Authors
  1. Lanying Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhengcai Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qiang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xin Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhengcai Zhang.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 342 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Han, L., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Q. et al. Desertification assessments in the Hexi corridor of northern China’s Gansu Province by remote sensing. Nat Hazards 75, 2715–2731 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1457-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1457-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation