Changes of Vegetation Coverage in the Loess Plateau in 2000-2009

Abstract

Based on MODISNDVI data from 2000 to 2009,dimidiate pixel principle was applied to monitor the spatial and temporal variations of vegetation coverage(VC) in the Loess Plateau as well as the influence factors of climate change and human activity on vegetation coverage change.The results showed that the VC increased in the Loess Plateau during 2000-2009 with a growth rate of 6% per decade at significant level of α=0.01.In the space,the VC presented a worsen trend from southeast to northwest,which was in accordance with the distribution of water-heat conditions in the Loess Plateau.The areas of obviously improved region,generally improved region,general deterioration region and significant deterioration region were respectively 6 717.35 km2,18 0176.90 km2,27 236.37 km2 and 852.62 km2 from 2000 to 2009.The obviously improved regions were mainly distributed in North Shaanxi Province,while the significant deterioration regions were mainly in Yinchuan,Xi'an and Taiyuan.The main natural factors and human factors on the VC increase were the increase of temperature and precipitation and the implementation of the project of Converting Cropland to Forest in the Three-North Regions of China.