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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (2): 288-300.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00257

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Spatiotemporal changes and driving mechanisms of vegetation in the sandy areas of Qinghai Province in 2000-2024

Yuanyuan Ma1,2(), Dengke Ma1,2, Yifan Yue3, Wenrong Kang1,2, Hu Liu1, Guoying Zhou4, Wenzhi Zhao1()   

  1. 1.Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
    3.College of Forestry and Prataculture,Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,China
    4.Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xining 810008,China
  • Received:2025-08-25 Revised:2025-10-21 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-04-13
  • Contact: Wenzhi Zhao

Abstract:

Qinghai Province's desert regions, located on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, are typical arid and semi-arid ecologically fragile zones functioning as key ecological barriers. Understanding vegetation dynamics and drivers is essential for ecological security and sustainable management. Using the Theil-Sen+Mann-Kendall trend test, Hurst exponent, and geographical detector methods, this study reveals the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and driving mechanisms of vegetation cover in mobile sand, semi-mobile sand, semi-fixed sand, fixed sand, saline-alkali land, and gobi areas of the sandy areas in Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2024. The findings are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2024, vegetation coverage showed an overall fluctuating increase, with the mean value rising from 0.10 to 0.12. The most significant increase occurred from 2008 to 2016 (P<0.05), with low-coverage areas concentrated in saline-alkali lands and gobi, and high-coverage areas primarily in the fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes in the southwest and southeast. (2) Over 68% of the region showed an improving vegetation trend, with reduced areas mainly in the northwest, around the moving sand dunes and saline-alkali lands. The most significant improvement in vegetation was observed near Sanjiangyuan (P<0.05). The combined effects of climate factors (precipitation, temperature, and wind speed) and soil factors (organic carbon, moisture, and texture) (qmean = 0.34, 0.19, P<0.001) were more significant than the individual effects of each factor on vegetation (qmean = 0.20, 0.10, P<0.001). The interaction between human activities and environmental factors was also significant (q = 0.36, P<0.001). (3) In the future, 65.8% of the region's vegetation will remain relatively stable, 10.1% will continue to improve, and 6.9% will continue to decrease. Fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes show significant potential for improvement, while vegetation changes in moving sand dunes and saline-alkali lands are more stable. Vegetation restoration strategies should prioritize ecological restoration in fixed and semi-fixed sandy areas, focusing on soil stabilization through sand barrier construction and vegetation restoration projects. In saline-alkali and gobi regions, appropriate plant species should be selected, and soil improvement measures should be implemented. Optimizing vegetation structure and strengthening wind and sand erosion control will promote ecological recovery.

Key words: Qinghai Province, sandy areas, vegetation cover, plant restoration

CLC Number: