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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 78-91.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00030

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Changes and driving forces of NDVI in the Lvliang Mountain area from 1986 to 2023

Dehua Xu1(), Qiang Liu2,3, Duan Li1, Jiyan Li1()   

  1. 1.School of Geography Science / Shanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology Security in Fenhe River Basin,Taiyuan Normal University,Jinzhong 030619,Shanxi,China
    2.College of Resources and Environmental Engineering,Tianshui Normal University,Tianshui 741000,Gansu,China
    3.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation,Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources,Yangling 712100,Shaanxi,China
  • Received:2025-01-20 Revised:2025-03-22 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-09-27
  • Contact: Jiyan Li

Abstract:

The Lvliang Mountain area, located in the western part of the Shanxi province within the Yellow River Basin, represents a typical region characterized by fragile ecological conditions. While existing studies have focused on relatively short-term periods, the analysis of the long-term trends and driving forces of vegetation cover in the region remains insufficient. This study utilizes Landsat satellite imagery provided by the GEE platform to calculate and analyze the spatio-temporal variation of NDVI in the Lvliang Mountain area from 1986 to 2023. Additionally, the Geodetector model is employed to identify the key driving factors. The findings reveal the following insights: (1) From 1986 to 2000, the annual mean NDVI of vegetation in the Lvliang Mountain area exhibited a non-significant declining trend, whereas from 2001 to 2023, it showed a significant increasing trend. Overall, during the period from 1986 to 2023, vegetation NDVI demonstrated an improving trend, with areas of significant increase accounting for 94.92% of the study area. The regions with the most rapid NDVI growth were primarily concentrated in the study area of central Xinzhou, Lvliang, Linfen, and southern Taiyuan. In contrast, significant NDVI declines were observed along the central-eastern and southern margins of the study area, mainly due to intensified human activities. (2) The analysis of the driving factors reveals that their explanatory capacity, in descending order, is as follows: drought index > actual evaporation > precipitation > soil moisture > elevation > slope > wind speed > temperature > soil temperature > nighttime light. Among these, the drought index and actual evaporation have the highest q-values, each contributing more than 35% to the explanation of NDVI changes. Precipitation, soil moisture, and elevation each account for more than 20% of the explanatory capacity. (3) From 1986 to 2023, the explanatory capacity of climatic factors for vegetation NDVI change exhibited a significant or non-significant decreasing trend, while the explanatory capacity of anthropogenic factors and slope showed a significant increase. Meanwhile, land use changes in the study area from 1990 to 2023 indicated a significant reduction in cropland area and a substantial increase in forested land, highlighting the critical role of human activities in influencing NDVI variations in the Lvliang Mountain area.

Key words: Lvliang Mountain area, NDVI, GEE, Geodetector model

CLC Number: