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Assessing phenological change in China from 1982 to 2006 using AVHRR imagery

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Abstract

Long-term trends in vegetation phenology indicate ecosystem change due to the combined impacts of human activities and climate. In this study we used 1982 to 2006 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (AVHRR NDVI) imagery across China and the TIMESAT program to quantify annual vegetation production and its changing trend. Results showed great spatial variability in vegetation growth and its temporal trend across the country during the 25-year study period. Significant decreases in vegetation production were detected in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, and in industrializing regions in southern China, including the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, and areas along the Yangtze River. Significant increases in vegetation production were found in Xinjiang, Central China, and North-east China. Validation of the NDVI trends and vegetated area changes were conducted using Landsat imagery and the results were consistent with the analysis from AVHRR data. We also found that although the causes of the vegetation change vary locally, the spatial pattern of the vegetation change and the areas of greatest impact from national policies launched in the 1970s, such as the opening of economic zones and the ‘Three-North Shelter Forest Programme’, are similar, which indicates an impact of national policies on ecosystem change and that such impacts can be detected using the method described in this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center, Arizona, AZ, 85719, USA

    Haiyan Wei, Philip Heilman & Mark A. Nearing

  2. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1117, USA

    Jiaguo Qi

  3. Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China

    Zhihui Gu

  4. Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yongguang Zhang

Authors
  1. Haiyan Wei
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  2. Philip Heilman
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  3. Jiaguo Qi
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  4. Mark A. Nearing
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  5. Zhihui Gu
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  6. Yongguang Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haiyan Wei.

Additional information

Haiyan Wei is an assistant research scientist at the University of Arizona. She earned her Ph.D. in Watershed Management, with a minor in Remote Sensing. Her area of interest includes hydrology and erosion modeling, remote sensing application, and rangeland drought management.

Philip Heilman is the Research Leader at the Southwest Watershed Research Center. He has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Ph.D. in Watershed Management, with minors in Agricultural Economics and Management Information Systems. His research interests include decision support systems, water quality, rangeland management, and natural resource economics.

Mark A. Nearing is a research scientist at the Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, Arizona. His area of research includes 1) determining sustainable land use and management practices with regard to soil, water, plant, and other watershed resources, 2) developing suitable computer simulation models to assess soil sustainability, 3) incorporating new technologies into the models and new measurement technologies into field experiments, and 4) developing technology transfer to disseminate research findings and results to land managers and decision makers. Dr. Nearing has authored more than 300 scientific papers, including more than 120 refereed scientific journal articles. Most of his research has been in the area of soil erosion research, including understanding basic erosion processes, field measurement techniques, computer simulation modeling, and understand global change impacts on erosion and conservation. He is past President and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Soil Conservation Organization, was a contributing author to Working Group II, Ch. 3, regarding the impacts of climate change on soil erosion to the 4th IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Assessment report, 2007, and is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America.

Zhihui Gu obtained her Ph. D. in Environmental Change and Regional Planning from Beijing Normal University, China. She is currently an assistant research professor at the college of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, China. Her area of expertise includes biological applications of remote sensing and urban disaster risk assessment.

Yongguang Zhang obtained his Ph.D. degree of physical geography from Beijing Normal University, China. He is currently an assistant research scientist at USDAARS Southwest Watershed Research Center and the University of Arizona. His area of research includes soil erosion, the impacts of climate change on soil and water conservation, and the climate extremes effects on terrestrial ecosystem productivity.

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Wei, H., Heilman, P., Qi, J. et al. Assessing phenological change in China from 1982 to 2006 using AVHRR imagery. Front. Earth Sci. 6, 227–236 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-012-0321-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-012-0321-3

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