Land-use and Fractional Vegetation Cover Changes in Tianshui, China: Spatiotemporal Patterns and Spatial Associations

Xiaoli Shao; Zhanfu Luo

doi:10.54097/3etkqy63

Authors

Xiaoli Shao College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Zhanfu Luo College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/3etkqy63

Keywords:

Land use; fractional vegetation cover; spatiotemporal evolution; transition matrix; spatial association.

Abstract

To clarify the spatial association between land-use change and fractional vegetation cover (FVC) dynamics, we integrated land-use and MODIS NDVI data from 2000, 2007, 2015, and 2022 with land-use dynamic degree, land-use transition matrices, the pixel dichotomy model, FVC transition matrices, and spatial overlay analysis to examine the spatiotemporal evolution of land use and FVC in Tianshui from 2000 to 2022. The results showed that (1) land-use structure changed markedly during the study period. Cropland declined by 1,425.795 km², whereas grassland, forest land, and built-up land generally expanded, with the largest increases occurring in grassland and forest land. Land-use conversions occurred mainly among cropland, grassland, and forest land, and built-up land expansion was driven primarily by the conversion of cropland and grassland. (2) FVC generally increased, with higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest. Areas of low and relatively low FVC contracted, whereas moderate- and high-FVC areas expanded, indicating an overall shift towards higher FVC classes. (3) Land-use type was closely associated with the spatial distribution of FVC, and vegetation-cover characteristics differed among land-use types. FVC was generally higher in forest land and grassland than in built-up land and unused land. These findings indicate that ecological restoration and land-use adjustment jointly shaped the surface ecological environment of Tianshui and provide a scientific basis for regional land-resource optimization, ecological conservation, and sustainable development.

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