PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2013, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (2): 270-277.doi: 10.11820/dlkxjz.2013.02.013

• Original Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Dynamic changes and spatial patterns of vegetation cover in a river basin based on SPOT-VGT data: A case study in the Huaihe River Basin

WANG Qing, LIU Xuehua, LÜ Baolei   

  1. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • Received:2012-10-01 Revised:2012-11-01 Online:2013-02-25 Published:2013-02-07

Abstract: To investigate the dynamic changes and spatial patterns of vegetation in the Huaihe River Basin, this study used SPOT-VGT NDVI (Normalized Different Vegetation Index) data and land use/cover data to analyze the spatial-temporal patterns of vegetation change in the region during 1999 to 2007 by using ArcGIS Spatial analysis tools. The results showed that: (1) SPOT-VGT data, combined with GIS Spatial analysis tools and models, can be used in the calculation and analysis of vegetation cover conditions in river basin scale; (2) NDVI maintained an clearly increasing trend in most areas (71.33%) of the Huaihe River Basin during 1999-2007, suggesting that the vegetation coverage was improved in the region in the last decade, which indicated that the measures of vegetation protection and restoration had achieved positive results; (3) Monthly NDVI variations showed a double-peak curve. The two peaks appeared in April and August respectively, and the peak in April was lower than that in August; (4) The average NDVI showed obvious spatial variations. NDVI in the plain areas was higher than that in the mountain areas, and it was higher in the north areas of Huaihe River than in the south areas; NDVI varied greatly in the mountain areas, with the highest average value in the Dabieshan Mountain and the lowest in the Yimengshan Mountain. Areas in and around the cities had lower NDVI due to high density of built-up land. The areas with relatively poor vegetation coverage had high risk of soil erosion. (5) The NDVI changing trends varied among different land use/cover types. The average NDVI values of cropland, woodland, grassland and alkaline land had shown a stable increasing trend during 1999-2007. The average NDVI of flooded plains land showed a slightly increasing trend. The NDVI of marshes fluctuated dramatically. The results of the studies of dynamic changes and spatial patterns of vegetation in the Huaihe River Basin can provide a scientific basis for planning and taking measures to protect watershed forest, and in turn to control soil erosion.

Key words: GIS spatial analysis, NDVI, spatial pattern, SPOT-VGT, the Huaihe River Basin, vegetation dynamics