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Arid Land Geography ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (11): 1768-1777.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.027

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal variation and driving factors of ecological vulnerability in the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi

ZHUO Jing1,2(),HU Hao1,HE Huijuan3,WANG Zhi1,YANG Chengrui1   

  1. 1. Shaanxi Early Warning Center, Xi’an 710015, Shaanxi, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment and Meteorology for The Qinling Mountains and Loess Plateau, Shaanxi Meteorological Bureau, Xi’an 710015, Shaanxi, China
    3. Shaanxi Meteorological Service Center of Agricultural Remote Sensing and Economic Crop, Xi’an 710015, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2023-01-13 Revised:2023-03-13 Online:2023-11-25 Published:2023-12-05

Abstract:

Studying spatiotemporal changes in ecological vulnerability in the Loess Plateau region of northern Shaanxi before and after the implementation of an ecological restoration project helps to understand the impact of the project implementation on regional ecological vulnerability and provides a scientific reference for the sustainable restoration of regional ecology. This study aims to provide a scientific foundation for the sustainable restoration of the ecology in this region by leveraging multisource data and an evaluation index system built around the sensitivity-resilience-stress model. The analysis encompasses the spatiotemporal variation of ecological vulnerability in different administrative regions, diverse ecological function areas, and varying slopes in the region before and after the implementation of the project (1997 and 2021) is analyzed with the driving mechanism. The results show the following key insights: (1) The ecological vulnerability in the Loess Plateau, China, was improved substantially. The mean regional ecological vulnerability index decreases from 41.74 to 32.96, a decrease of 21.0%. This shift transforms from medium and low vulnerability to a predominantly low vulnerability pattern. (2) Ecological vulnerability in the study area exhibits a zonal distribution, and the ecological vulnerability in the south is better than that in the north. From 1997 to 2021, 51.2% of the regional ecological vulnerability in the study area was improved, mainly from medium to low vulnerability, accounting for 75.3% of the total area improved, predominantly concentrated in farmland to forest and sandstorm areas. The second notable improvement involves the shift from low to general vulnerability, accounting for 16.9% of the improved areas, mainly within the Huangqiao forest area. Conversely, 4.6% of the regional ecological vulnerability increases in the study area, with general vulnerability rising to low and low vulnerability rising to medium, accounting for 52.9% and 45.6% of the increased area of ecological vulnerability, respectively. These increases are scattered in the sandstorm areas and Huangqiao forest areas. Among the administrative units, Tongchuan City is the lowest ecologically fragile, while Yulin City is the highest, with the most vulnerable areas concentrated in Yulin City. However, the ecological vulnerability index and grade declined in the three municipal districts. Similarly, the ecological vulnerability index and grade of the three ecofunctional areas considerably decreased, with the largest decrease in the area of returning farmland to forest, followed by the wind-sand areas, and finally, the Huangqiao forest area. (3) In designated cropland-to-forest conversion zones, high-grade vulnerability largely transforms into low-grade vulnerability, leading to noticeable regional ecological improvement. (4) Analysis of the driving mechanism reveals that the driving forces of human and natural factors account for 83.1% and 16.9%, respectively. This result shows that ecological restoration projects are the main driving force for the profound improvement of regional ecological vulnerability.

Key words: ecological restoration project, the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi, ecological vulnerability, driving factors