Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Vegetation coverage change and associated driving forces in mountain areas of Northwestern Yunnan, China using RS and GIS

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dynamics of vegetation coverage and associated driving forces are one of the key issues in global environmental change. In the study, taking Lijiang County as a case, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was used to quantify vegetation coverage change in mountain areas of Northwestern Yunnan, China, with the application of remote sensing data and GIS technologies. And associated driving forces of vegetation coverage change were also analyzed, with a focus on land use change and elevation. The results showed that there was high vegetation coverage with a significant increase in the whole county during 1986–2002. However, due to economic development and the implementation of environmental protection polices, vegetation coverage change in the county showed distinct spatial diversity, which mainly behaved as the increasing in the northwest of the county with low human activities, and the decreasing in the south with high economic development. The results also showed that as a restrictive factor, elevation was of great signification on the spatial distribution of vegetation coverage in a broad scale; while in the county level, it was land use that determined the vegetation coverage, since the change of vegetation coverage grades in the study area was mainly associated with the change of land use types.

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

  • Burgos, A., & Maass, J. M. (2004). Vegetation change associated with land-use in tropical dry forest areas of Western Mexico. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 104, 475–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, A. L. M., Bergfur, J., & Milberg, P. (2005). Comparison of data from two vegetation monitoring methods in semi-natural grasslands. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 100, 235–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, L. D., Wang, J., Fu, B. J., & Qiu, Y. (2001). Land use change in a small catchment of northern Loess Plateau, China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 86, 163–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, P. Y., Fedosejevs, G., Tiscareno-Lopez, M., & Arnold, J. G. (2006). Assessment of MODIS-EVI, MODIS-NDVI and VEGETATION-NDVI composite data using agricultural measurements: an example at corn fields in western Mexico. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 119, 69–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, L. D., Huang, Z. L., Gong, J., Fu, B. J., & Huang, Y. L. (2007). The effect of land cover/vegetation on soil water dynamic in the hilly area of the loess plateau, China. Catena, 70, 200–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, H. Y., Wang, G. X., Hu, H. C., & Wang, Y. B. (2008). The variation of soil temperature and water content of seasonal frozen soil with different vegetation coverage in the headwater region of the Yellow River, China. Environmental Geology, 54, 1755–1762.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuomo, V., Lanfredi, M., Lasaponara, R., Macchiato, M. F., & Simoniello, T. (2001). Detection of interannual variation of vegetation in middle and southern Italy during 1985–1999 with 1 km NOAA AVHRR NDVI data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106, 17863–17876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, R. S., & Townshend, J. R. G. (1994). NDVI-derived land cover classifications at a global scale. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 15, 3443–3462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diodato, N., & Bellocchi, G. (2008). Modelling vegetation greenness responses to climate variability in a Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystem. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 143, 147–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, J. Y., Piao, S. L., He, J. S., & Ma, W. H. (2004). Increasing terrestrial vegetation activity in China, 1982–1999. Science in China (Series C), 47, 229–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fensham, R. J., Fairfax, R. J., & Archer, S. R. (2005). Rainfall, land use and woody vegetation cover change in semi-arid Australian savanna. Journal of Ecology, 93, 596–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, B. J., & Lv, Y. H. (2006). The progress and perspectives of landscape ecology in China. Progress in Physical Geography, 30, 232–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, B. J., Liu, S. L., Ma, K. M., & Zhu, Y. G. (2004). Relationships between soil characteristic, topography and plant diversity in a heterogeneous deciduous broad-leaved forest near Beijing, China. Plant and Soil, 261, 47–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, B. J., Hu, C. X., Chen, L. D., Honnay, O., & Gulinck, H. (2006). Evaluating Change in agricultural landscape pattern between 1980 and 2000 in the loess hilly region of Ansai county, China. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 114, 387–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu, B. J., Lv, Y. H., & Chen, L. D. (2008). Expanding the bridging capability of landscape ecology. Landscape Ecology, 23, 375–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, S. M., Anyamba, A., & Tucker, C. J. (2005). Recent trends in vegetation dynamics in the African Sahel and their relationship to climate. Global Environmental Change, 15, 394–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, C. J., Fu, B. J., Liu, G. H., Jin, T. T., & Guo, L. (2010). Vegetation patterns influence on soil microbial biomass and functional diversity in a hilly area of the Loess Plateau, China. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 10, 1082–1091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kraaij, T., & Milton, S. J. (2006). Vegetation changes (1995–2004) in semi-arid Karoo shrubland, South Africa: effects of rainfall, wild herbivores and change in land use. Journal of Arid Environments, 64, 174–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, T. M. (2005). Monitoring the dynamics of coastal vegetation in southwestern Taiwan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 111, 307–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lejju, B. J. (2009). Vegetation dynamics in western Uganda during the last 1000 years: climate change or human induced environmental degradation? African Journal of Ecology, 47, 21–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, L. Y., Jing, X., Wang, J. H., & Zhao, C. J. (2009). Analysis of the changes of vegetation coverage of western Beijing mountainous areas using remote sensing and GIS. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 153, 339–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, H. L., Heilig, G. K., Wang, J., Li, X. B., Luo, M., Wu, X. Q., et al. (2006). Land use and soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: some socio-economic considerations on China’s Grain-for-green Programme. Land Degradation & Development, 17, 589–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, H. L., Liu, Y. S., Wu, X. Q., & Dong, G. H. (2009). Spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of farmland and rural settlements in Su-Xi-Chang region: Implications for building a new countryside in coastal China. Land Use Policy, 26, 322–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luck, G. W., Smallbone, L. T., & O’Brien, R. (2009). Socio-economics and vegetation change in urban ecosystems: patterns in space and time. Ecosystems, 12, 604–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maselli, F. (2004). Monitoring forest conditions in a protected Mediterranean coastal area by the analysis of multiyear NDVI data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 89, 423–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meliadis, I., Platis, P., Ainalis, A., & Meliadis, M. (2010). Monitoring and analysis of natural vegetation in a Special Protected Area of Mountain Antichasia-Meteora, central Greece. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 163, 455–465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morawitz, D. F., Blewett, T. M., Cohen, A., & Alberti, M. (2006). Using NDVI to assess vegetative land cover change in central Puget Sound. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 114, 85–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myneni, R. B., Keeling, C. D., Tucker, C. J., Asrar, G., & Nemani, R. R. (1997). Increased plant growth in the northern high latitudes from 1981 to 1991. Nature, 386, 698–701.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naumburg, E., Mata-Gonzalez, R., Hunter, R. G., McLendon, T., & Martin, D. W. (2005). Phreatophytic vegetation and groundwater fluctuations: a review of current research and application of ecosystem response modeling with an emphasis on great basin vegetation. Environmental Management, 35, 726–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nemani, R. R., Keeling, C. D., Hashimoto, H., Jolly, W. M., Piper, S. C., Tucker, C. J., et al. (2003). Climate-driven increases in global terrestrial net primary production from 1982 to 1999. Science, 300, 1560–1563.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nezlin, N. P., Kostianoy, A. G., & Li, B. (2005). Inter-annual variability and interaction of remote-sensed vegetation index and atmospheric precipitation in the Aral Sea region. Journal of Arid Environments, 62, 677–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, J., Wu, J. S., Yin, H., Li, Z. G., Chang, Q., & Mu, T. L. (2008). Rural land use change during 1986–2002 in Lijiang, China, based on remote sensing and GIS data. Sensors, 8, 8201–8223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahlao, S. J., Hoffman, M. T., Todd, S. W., & McGrath, K. (2008). Long-term vegetation change in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa following 67 years of rest from grazing. Journal of Arid Environments, 72, 808–819.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rastmanesh, F., Moore, F., Kharrati-Kopaei, M., & Behrouz, M. (2010). Monitoring deterioration of vegetation cover in the vicinity of smelting industry, using statistical methods and TM and ETM+ imageries, Sarcheshmeh copper complex, Central Iran. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 163, 397–410.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rees, M., Condit, R., Crawley, M., Pacala, S., & Tilman, D. (2001). Long-term studies of vegetation dynamics. Science, 293, 650–655.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roerink, G. J., Menenti, M., Soepboer, W., & Su, Z. (2003). Assessment of climate impact on vegetation dynamics by using remote sensing. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 28, 103–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rull, V., Abbott, M. B., Polissar, P. J., Wolfe, A. P., Bezada, M., & Bradley, R. S. (2005). 15,000-yr pollen record of vegetation change in the high altitude tropical Andes at Laguna Verde Alta, Venezuela. Quaternary Research, 64, 308–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seabrook, L., McAlpine, C., & Fensham, R. (2007). Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation change in agricultural landscapes: a case study of two brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) landscapes in Queensland, Australia. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 120, 211–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slayback, D., Pinzon, J., Los, S., & Tucker, C. (2003). Northern Hemisphere photosynthetic trends 1982–1999. Global Change Biology, 9, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stapanian, M. A., Cline, S. P., & Cassell, D. L. (1997). Evaluation of a measurement method for forest vegetation in a large-scale ecological survey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 45, 237–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, C. J. (1979). Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 8, 127–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Meng, J. J., & Cai, Y. L. (2008). Assessing vegetation dynamics impacted by climate change in the southwestern karst region of China with AVHRR NDVI and AVHRR NPP time-series. Environmental Geology, 54, 1185–1195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei, W., Chen, L. D., Fu, B. J., Lv, Y. H., & Gong, J. (2009). Responses of water erosion to rainfall extremes and vegetation types in a loess semiarid hilly area, NW China. Hydrological Processes, 23, 1780–1791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, J. L., Gutzlera, D. S., Allred, C. J. E., & Dahm, C. N. (2004). Long-term vegetation monitoring with NDVI in a diverse semi-arid setting, central New Mexico, USA. Journal of Arid Environments, 58, 249–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weng, E. S., & Zhou, G. S. (2006). Modeling distribution changes of vegetation in China under future climate change. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 11, 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, H. L., Ye, M., Song, Y. D., & Chen, Y. N. (2007). The natural vegetation responses to the groundwater change resulting from ecological water conveyances to the lower Tarim River. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 131, 37–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, X. K., Chen, H., & Levy, J. K. (2008). Spatiotemporal vegetation cover variations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under global climate change. Chinese Science Bulletin, 53, 915–922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, F. F., Price, K. P., Ellis, J., & Shi, P. J. (2003). Response of seasonal vegetation development to climatic variations in eastern central Asia. Remote Sensing of Environment, 87, 42–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yue, Y., Wang, K., Zhang, B., Chen, Z., Jiao, Q., Liu, B., et al. (2010). Exploring the relationship between vegetation spectra and eco-geo-environmental conditions in karst region, Southwest China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 160, 157–168.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, B., & Yang, T. B. (2008). Impacts of climate warming on vegetation in Qaidam Area from 1990 to 2003. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 144, 403–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Z. C., Shangguan, Z. P., & Zhao, D. (2006). Modeling vegetation coverage and soil erosion in the Loess Plateau Area of China. Ecological Modelling, 198, 263–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zou, X. K., & Zhai, P. M. (2004). Relationship between vegetation coverage and spring dust storms over northern China. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, D03104. doi:10.1029/2003JD003913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuo, X. A., Zhao, X. Y., Zhao, H. L., Guo, Y. R., Zhang, T. H., & Cui, J. Y. (2010). Spatial pattern and heterogeneity of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in sand dunes related to vegetation change and geomorphic position in Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 164, 29–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research is financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41130534, 40801066, 41001381), and State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology of China (2008-KF-04).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Jian Peng & Yinghui Liu

  2. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Jian Peng, Hong Shen, Yinan Han & Yajing Pan

  3. College of Urban Planning and Design, Key Laboratory for Environmental and Urban Sciences, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Hong Shen, Yinan Han & Yajing Pan

Authors
  1. Jian Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yinghui Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hong Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yinan Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yajing Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yinghui Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peng, J., Liu, Y., Shen, H. et al. Vegetation coverage change and associated driving forces in mountain areas of Northwestern Yunnan, China using RS and GIS. Environ Monit Assess 184, 4787–4798 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2302-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2302-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation