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Zhou Y, Batelaan O, Guan H, Liu T, Duan L, Wang Y, Li X. Assessing long-term trends in vegetation cover change in the Xilin River Basin: Potential for monitoring grassland degradation and restoration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 349:119579. [PMID: 37976643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the problem of grassland degradation is becoming increasingly severe. Detection of changes in vegetation cover is crucial for a better understanding of the interaction between humans and ecosystems. This study maps changes in vegetation cover using the Google Earth Engine (GEE). We used 36 years of Landsat satellite imagery (1985-2020) in the Xilin River Basin, China, to classify grassland conditions and validated the results with field observation data. The overall classification of the model accuracy assessment was 83.3%. The Dynamic Reference Vegetation Cover Method (DRCM) was adopted to remove the effect of interannual variation of rainfall, allowing to focus on the impact of human activities on vegetation cover changes. The results identify five categories of vegetation cover changes: significantly increased, potentially increased, stable, potentially decreased, and significantly decreased. The reference level is derived from the most persistent land surface coverage across different grassland types and all years. Overall, 9.3% of the study area had a significant increase in vegetation cover, 14.2% a potential increase, 48.6% of the area showed a stable vegetation condition, 9.8% showed a potential decrease, and 18.1% a significant decrease in vegetation cover. The largest proportion of combined potential and significant reduction was 35.2% for desert grassland, where the vegetation faced the most severe reduction. This study will provide a basis for identifying grassland degradation and developing scientific management policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Zhou
- Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot, 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, 010018, China; College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Okke Batelaan
- College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Huade Guan
- College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Tingxi Liu
- Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot, 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, 010018, China.
| | - Limin Duan
- Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot, 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Yixuan Wang
- Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot, 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Xia Li
- Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Water Resources, Hohhot, 010018, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, 010018, China; College of Science & Engineering, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Waters CM, McDonald SE, Reseigh J, Grant R, Burnside DG. Insights on the relationship between total grazing pressure management and sustainable land management: key indicators to verify impacts. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/rj19078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Demonstrating sustainable land management (SLM) requires an understanding of the linkages between grazing management and environmental stewardship. Grazing management practices that incorporate strategic periods of rest are promoted internationally as best practice. However, spatial and temporal trends in unmanaged feral (goat) and native (kangaroo) populations in the southern Australian rangelands can result land managers having, at times, control over less than half the grazing pressure, precluding the ability to rest pastures. Few empirical studies have examined the impacts of total grazing pressure (TGP) on biodiversity and resource condition, while the inability to manage grazing intensity at critical times may result in negative impacts on ground cover, changes in pasture species composition, increased rates of soil loss and reduce the ability for soils to store carbon. The widespread adoption of TGP control through exclusion fencing in the southern Australian rangelands has created unprecedented opportunities to manage total grazing pressure, although there is little direct evidence that this infrastructure leads to more sustainable land management. Here we identify several key indicators that are either outcome- or activity-based that could serve as a basis for verification of the impacts of TGP management. Since TGP is the basic determinant of the impact of herbivory on vegetation it follows that the ability for rangeland pastoral management to demonstrate SLM and environmental stewardship will rely on using evidence-based indicators to support environmental social licence to operate.
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Harwood TD, Donohue RJ, Williams KJ, Ferrier S, McVicar TR, Newell G, White M. Habitat Condition Assessment System: a new way to assess the condition of natural habitats for terrestrial biodiversity across whole regions using remote sensing data. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom D. Harwood
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories Clunies Ross Street Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Randall J. Donohue
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories Clunies Ross Street Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Kristen J. Williams
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories Clunies Ross Street Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Simon Ferrier
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories Clunies Ross Street Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Tim R. McVicar
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories Clunies Ross Street Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Graeme Newell
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries 123 Brown Street Heidelberg Vic. 3084 Australia
| | - Matt White
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries 123 Brown Street Heidelberg Vic. 3084 Australia
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