Journal
REMOTE SENSING
Volume 14, Issue 19, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/rs14194779
Keywords
land degradation index; fuzzy logic modeling; spatial and temporal distribution; Huangfuchuan watershed; Loess Plateau
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [U2243211, 42077076, 42077075]
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This study assessed land degradation changes in the Huangfuchuan watershed of the Loess Plateau by considering different types of land degradation. The results showed an increase in vegetation cover and a decrease in soil erosion rate, indicating significant success in land degradation prevention in the region.
Various land degradation processes have led to land productivity reduction, food insecurity and ecosystem destruction. The Loess Plateau (LP) suffered from severe land degradation, such as vegetation degradation, soil erosion and desertification. This study assessed land degradation changes by considering different land degradation types including vegetation degradation, soil erosion, aridity, loss of soil organic carbon and desertification in the Huangfuchuan watershed of the northern LP. A comprehensive land degradation index (LDI) was developed by combining different degradation processes using the fuzzy logic modeling method. Our results showed significant land use transitions from bare land and sandy area to grass land and forest land from 1990 to 2018, which were consistent with an obvious increase in vegetation cover from 31.24% to 40.72%. The soil erosion rate predicted by the RUSLE model decreased by 51.95% during 1990-2018. The basin-average LDI decreased from 0.68 in 1990 to 0.51 in 2018, suggesting the great success of land degradation prevention in a fragile ecological environment region on the LP during the past decades. This study proposed an integrated framework for land degradation assessment in the high erodible area. The results can provide good references for the improvement of ecological environment in the future.
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