CollectHomepage AdvertisementContact usMessage

Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (9): 1866-1876.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.751

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation coverage and land surface temperature in alpine meadow photovoltaic construction areas and their restoration mechanisms: A case of Tala Beach, Qinghai

ZHAO Le1,2,3(), SHI Yangyang1,2, LIU Xinlu1,4, LI Congjuan1()   

  1. 1 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences; National Key Laboratory of Ecological Security and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3 Taklimakan Desert Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Qiemo 841900, Xinjiang, China
    4 College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2025-11-24 Revised:2026-01-05 Online:2026-09-25 Published:2026-09-07
  • Contact: LI Congjuan E-mail:zhaole24@mails.ucas.ac.cn;licj@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Abstract:

The Qinghai Sanjiangyuan alpine meadow serves as a crucial national ecological barrier, characterized by a highly sensitive and fragile ecosystem. With the advancement of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategies, rapid expansion of photovoltaic projects in the region may induce ecological disturbances. Utilizing Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 remote sensing data along with meteorological records from 2016 to 2024, this study employed comprehensive methods including the Sen-Mann-Kendall trend test and structural equation modeling (SEM) to systematically evaluate the spatiotemporal impacts and mechanisms of photovoltaic construction on vegetation coverage (FVC) and surface temperature (LST). Results indicate: (1) Photovoltaic construction significantly reduce FVC during construction phases, with gradual recovery thereafter; for instance, in the 2018 study area, the FVC difference decreased from -0.0675 to -0.0138. (2) Photovoltaic areas exhibit sustained cooling effects during operation, with LST consistently lower than that in buffer areas, particularly pronounced in hot years. (3) The Hurst index demonstrates long-term positive sustainability of FVC in photovoltaic areas, indicating stable vegetation recovery potential. (4) SEM analysis reveals that photovoltaic construction indirectly promotes FVC recovery by reducing LST, while climate and topography influence vegetation growth through water-heat regulation. In summary, ecological restoration in alpine meadow photovoltaic construction areas is driven by microenvironmental improvements, hydrothermal regulation, and positive vegetation feedback mechanisms, exhibiting a response pattern of short-term disturbance, medium-term recovery, and long-term stability. These findings provide scientific evidence for optimizing photovoltaic construction alongside ecological conservation in high-altitude regions.

Key words: fractional vegetation coverage, structural equation modeling, ecological regulation, ecological evolution, photovoltaic construction