Landscape pattern change and its influencing factors of sand-binding vegetation

ObjectiveIntroducing and establishing sand-binding vegetation, as one of the important approaches for combating desertification, has already applied in the ecological restoration and recovery in northern China for more than 60 years. Study on the dynamics of landscape patterns of sand-blinding vegetation and their influencing factors is thus a crucial requirement for guiding and establishing sand-binding vegetation.

MethodBased on vegetation map, this paper selects several typical vegetation types with varied dominant species (Artemisia sp., Caragana sp., Ulmus sp., and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in four sandy lands (Mu Us, Otindag, Horqin and Hulun Buir sandy lands). We explored their landscape pattern dynamics during 1990 –2015 by the landscape vulnerability index (LVI), and detected their influencing factors by the geodetector method.

ResultOver the study period (1990–2015), the Artemisia sp. and Caragana sp. shrublands showed stable expanding trends, and the average annual precipitation was the main factor influencing their landscape patterns (contribution ratio q = 0.31 and 0.41, respectively); Ulmus sp. and artificial P. sylvestris var. mongolica forestlands showed declining trends, and the land use and cover change (q = 0.34) and average annual air temperature in growth season (q = 0.24) were the main driving factors, respectively.

ConclusionThe results indicate that, the Artemisia sp. and Caragana sp. shrublands could continue to play their ecological service for wind break and sand-fixation, whilst the Ulmus sp. and the artificial P. sylvestris var. mongolica forestlands could seriously degrade under the projected climate change.