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Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (27 November 2023) | Viewed by 11831

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mingyang Zhang

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
Interests: karst; desertification; land degradation; ecosystem services; remote sensing; landscape ecology; vegetation change; vegetation carbon; land use and land change; climate change

Dr. Huiyu Liu

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Guest Editor

School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
Interests: vegetation change; climate changes; karst; landscape ecology; carbon sink; land use and land change; nonlinearity; invasion ecology
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Dear Colleagues,

Vegetation absorbs one-fifth of the carbon from the atmosphere every year. The achievement of ‘carbon neutrality’ will require contributions of carbon uptake from vegetation. Since the early 1970s, numerous studies based on remote sensing technologies have reported great changes in vegetation greenness, carbon sink, phenology and so on. Vegetation changes are jointly driven by climatic and environmental changes and human activities such as afforestation. Previously, climatic controls on vegetation changes were well studied, while a few studies investigated the interactive effects of human activities and climate change. Recent studies have suggested that human activities such as ecological projects may dominate vegetation changes in some areas. In the meantime, vegetation changes include variations at multiple timescales, such as interannual variation and long-term trends. It is thus urgent to deepen our understanding of the underlying driving mechanisms of vegetation change at multiple timescales to deal with ongoing global warming.

This Special Issue focuses on vegetation changes as well as the emerging platforms and techniques in the studies of vegetation changes. We encourage the submission of manuscripts that address but are not limited to understanding vegetation changes, ecological processes, and the interactions between climate change and human activity. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

Response of vegetation to climate change and human activities;
Driving mechanisms and ecological processes;
Long-term trends and interannual variation;
Application of new techniques and analysis methods.

We invite research articles related to vegetation change and its driving mechanisms, which can help us to better understand the dynamics and the response of vegetation to current and future climate change.

Dr. Mingyang Zhang
Dr. Huiyu Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

vegetation change
climate change
human activities
interaction
long-term trends
interannual variation
afforestation
landscape ecology

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3560 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vegetation History Characteristics of Planted Forests in Japan: Analysis of the 1960 World Census of Agriculture and Forestry

by Ryudai Ueno, Junna Iwano, Takahiro Fujiwara and Noriko Sato

Forests 2024, 15(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010059 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1479

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the vegetation history of planted forests that are still in use today by comparing the types of land afforested in 1960 with the post-war afforestation period in Japan’s Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Kinki regions. It was during that time that the majority of the planted forest in these regions was established. We calculated the afforestation ratios (afforested area of each type of land/total afforested area) for the smallest survey unit, the 1950 administrative sections, using data from the 1960 World Agriculture and Forestry Census on the afforested areas of various types of land (i.e., deforested areas resulting from natural forests, deforested areas resulting from planted forests, and areas other than forests). The afforestation ratios were then sorted into ten categories for each municipality in the three regions and mapped using GIS. The analysis results showed that the vegetation history in Kyushu, even within the same municipality, was frequently mixed in 1960; in Hokkaido, the afforestation ratio for deforested areas resulting from natural forests was extremely high, while the afforestation ratio for deforested areas resulting from planted forests was low. In contrast, the Kinki region has a low afforestation ratio for non-forest regions. This study provides useful information for ecosystem management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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16 pages, 5293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Betula pendula Crown Cover on Abandoned Arable Land in a Broad-Leaved Forest Zone of Bashkir Cis-Ural

by Nikolay Fedorov, Ilshat Tuktamyshev, Ilnur Bikbaev, Pavel Shirokikh, Svetlana Zhigunova, Elvira Baisheva and Vasiliy Martynenko

Forests 2024, 15(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010034 - 22 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1133

Abstract

Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) is one of the fast-growing tree species that often colonize abandoned agricultural lands in Europe and the European part of Russia. The purpose of this article is to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of Betula pendula crown cover on abandoned arable lands in a zone of broad-leaved forests of the Bashkir Cis-Ural (Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan). The assessment of current and retrospective values of crown cover was carried out using a regression model of the dependence of crown cover on the values of red channel brightness in early-spring images from Landsat 5–8 and Sentinel-2 satellites from 2012–2022. To estimate the number and height of trees, a survey was carried out using a LiDAR camera mounted on a UAV. After calculating the crown cover in grid squares and their distance from the seed source in QGIS, variance analysis was carried out to assess the influence of the factor of distance from the seed source on the crown cover. The influence of the factor of distance from the seed source on the crown cover was higher at earlier stages of overgrowth of abandoned agricultural lands. An exception to this dependence was only one sample plot where the prevailing wind direction was opposite to the direction of seed dispersal. The leading factors affecting the distribution of birch on abandoned agricultural lands were wind direction, height of seed trees, and grazing. In the parts of the sample plots that were furthest away from seed sources, the trees were 1–3 years younger or the same age, and stand density was lower than in sites located closer to the seed trees. In general, the results of the present study indicate two opposite relationships between seedling survival and distance to seed trees: (1) seed fall and seedling density decrease with increasing distance from the seed tree, and (2) the probability of seed/seedling survival increases due to decreased competition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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19 pages, 7613 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contrasting Effects of Tectonic Faults on Vegetation Growth along the Elevation Gradient in Tectonically Active Mountains

by Hongyu Li, Xiaohuang Liu, Xiaofeng Zhao, Wenbo Zhang, Jiufen Liu, Xinping Luo, Ran Wang and Liyuan Xing

Forests 2023, 14(12), 2336; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14122336 - 28 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1319

Abstract

Long-term tectonic movements have shaped the geomorphological features and hydrothermal conditions of mountains, influencing their vegetation growth patterns in both positive and negative ways. However, little is known about the effect of fault development on the spatio-temporal variation in vegetation along the elevation gradient in mountainous regions. To address this issue of montane tectonic ecology, this study selected the tectonically active mid-altitude zone (1000–3500 m) of the Chinese Western Tianshan Mountains. The role of tectonics is investigated by fault length density maps calculated from zonal statistics of region-scale fault survey data (1:250,000). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was chosen as an indicator to analyze the growth status of vegetation. The spatial distribution of fault length density, elevational, and interannual characteristics of the NDVIs from 2000 to 2020 and their relationships along the elevation gradient were investigated. The results show that the faulting zone accounts for 32.6% of the study area and the high faulting zone exhibits a unimodal distribution along the elevation gradient, with the maximum occurring at elevations of approximately 2000 m. The NDVIs of forests and high-coverage grassland show a unimodal distribution with elevation, with the maximum occurring at elevations of approximately 2000 m, coinciding with that of fault length density. In the elevation range of 1000–2500 m, the NDVI of the faulting zone is lower than that of the non-faulting zone, whereas that of the elevation range of 2500–3500 m is higher—a difference that is particularly evident in forests. This elevation-dependent contrasting effect of faults on vegetation growth could be attributed to more favorable hydrothermal conditions for vegetation in fault valleys and reduced landslide susceptibility with increasing elevation. This study highlights the need to consider fault distribution in understanding vegetation distribution and growth in tectonically active mountains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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15 pages, 7759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Changes and Driving Factors of Vegetation Coverage in Jiamusi City

by Meibo Wang, Yingbin Wang, Zhijun Li and Hengfei Zhang

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1902; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091902 - 18 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1690

Abstract

This study of vegetation coverage in Jiamusi City provides theoretical support for local urban development, land use, and ecological environmental protection. Based on the land cover data and Landsat remote sensing image data from 2000 to 2020, the vegetation cover and land use data of Jiamusi City were extracted. The study includes the following aspects: (1) an analysis of the spatio-temporal changes in vegetation coverage; (2) analysis of the land use situation in Jiamusi City; and (3) investigation of the impact of natural and human factors on vegetation coverage in Jiamusi City using the Geodetector model. The results show that (1) over the past 20 years, the vegetation coverage of Jiamusi has shown a decreasing trend, declining from 25.22% in 2000 to 17.13% in 2020, representing a decrease of 32%. In terms of spatial distribution, the areas of Fuyuan City and Tongjiang City have experienced more significant decreases in vegetation coverage, decreasing by 73.6% and 54.0%, respectively. (2) The land use pattern of Jiamusi City has undergone significant changes during the study period; except for paddy fields (PF), unused land (UL), and construction land (CL), the areas of all the land categories have decreased. The ranking of the single land use dynamic degree in terms of magnitude is as follows: PF, UL, CL, dry farmland (DF), vegetation coverage land (VCL), and wetland (WET). (3) The changes in vegetation coverage were influenced by both natural and human activities and, according to the Geodetector results, the main influencing factors were CL and DF. The key findings of this study emphasize the need for comprehensive land use planning and ecological environmental protection that focus on sustainable development and conservation practices, and lay the groundwork for future ecosystem management and urban planning efforts in Jiamusi City. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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17 pages, 11558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Vegetation Cover in Relation to Its Driving Forces in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

by Tong Xu and Hua Wu

Forests 2023, 14(9), 1835; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14091835 - 9 Sep 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1454

Abstract

The Tibet Plateau of Qinghai supports complex vegetation types that are ecologically fragile and sensitive to climatic factors. Therefore, it is important to understand the changes in vegetation and the factors responsible for these changes and to maintain the ecosystem balance and promote sustainable development in the region. Therefore, this paper is based on annual SPOT/VEG NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data, land use data, topographic data, temperature data, and precipitation data from 1999 to 2019. The spatiotemporal variation in the NDVI over the Tibetan Plateau in the last 21 years and its response to different driving factors were investigated by using the Theil–Sen slope method, Mann–Kendall test, partial correlation analysis, and geographical detector method. The results showed that (1) the vegetation coverage on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau showed an increasing trend from 1999 to 2019, with increases in approximately 67.00% of the plateau area. (2) The spatial differences in vegetation coverage were large; notably, low-density vegetation areas decreased obviously, moderate-density vegetation areas accounted for approximately 50% of the total area, high-density vegetation areas were the least common, and the overall growth rate was significant. (3) The NDVI was positively correlated with temperature and precipitation, and a positive correlation was observed in more than 66% of the region. (4) The order of the influence of single driving factors on the NDVI was as follows: precipitation > soil type > altitude > temperature > gradient > slope > population density > GDP. (5) The combined effect of the factors was significantly higher than that of single driving factors, with a notable nonlinear influence. The interactions between meteorological factors, such as precipitation, and topographic factors, such as altitude, were important, with a q-value over 0.79. The results of this study provide some methodological support for the ecological conservation of the Tibetan Plateau, and at the same time establish a scientific and reasonable strategy for vegetation restoration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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20 pages, 15725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial–Temporal Variations and the Driving Factors of Vegetation Coverage in the Loess Hilly and Gully Region of China

by Zhifeng Jia, Rui Lei, Yu Liu, Pengcheng Liu, Zhi Wang, Yingjie Chang and Wei Wei

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061238 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1638

Abstract

To determine the spatial–temporal variations and the factors leading to vegetation recovery in the loess hilly and gully region of China, this study analyzed a two-decade trend in the variation of vegetation cover based on normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from 1998 to 2019 using the Sen + MK test and Hurst index and determined the driving factors using the Geodetector model. The vegetation index in the area was high in the southeast and low in the northwest, with an overall increasing rate of 0.0108/year. The areas with significant improvement in vegetation cover accounted for 95.14%, and the areas with persistent change accounted for 37.36%. Annual precipitation is the most crucial factor driving the NDVI change, and potential evapotranspiration, relative humidity, elevation, land use type, and vegetation type can also explain local variations. The effect of compound factors is significantly greater than that of a single factor. The most effective factors are annual precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, relative humidity and elevation, which varied between 559.4–698.6 mm, 530.6–744.6 mm, 59%–62%, and 2006–2717 m, respectively. The land use, vegetation, and soil types suitable for healthy vegetation growth are forest, coniferous forest, and eluvial soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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21 pages, 11851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vegetation Dynamics and Their Response to Climate Changes and Human Activities: A Case Study in the Hanjiang River Basin, China

by Zizheng Zhang, Siyuan Liang and Yuqing Xiong

Forests 2023, 14(3), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030509 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

The Hanjiang River Basin (HJRB) is an important water conservation and ecological barrier area for the South–North Water Transfer Central Project. The quantitative analysis of regional differences in vegetation changes and their main drivers is important for the monitoring of the ecological environment of the basin and formulation of ecological protection measures. Based on MODIS13Q1 data from 2000 to 2020, spatiotemporal variation characteristics of vegetation in the HJRB were analyzed using Theil–Sen + Mann–Kendall, the Hurst index, and correlation analysis. Then, we detected the drivers using an optimal parameter geographic detector. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the average NDVI value increased from 0.651 to 0.737, with a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the northwest and low in the southeast”, and 88.68% of the study area showed an increase in vegetation cover, while 5.80% showed a significant degradation. The positive persistence of future vegetation changes is stronger than the negative. It may show a slowdown or degradation trend, among which the vegetation restoration along the Han River and urbanized areas need to be strengthened. The factor detector indicated that the main factors influencing vegetation change were topography and climate, for which the most influential variables, respectively, were elevation (0.1979), landform (0.1720), slope (0.1647), and soil type (0.1094), with weaker influence from human activity factors. The interaction test results showed that the interaction of various geographic factors enhanced the explanatory power of vegetation changes and showed mainly nonlinear and two-factor enhancements. The dominant factor varies between sub-basins; for example, the interaction between wind speed and land use conversion was the dominant factor in the middle reaches of the HJRB; the dominant factor in the lower reaches of the HJRB was expressed as the interaction between land use conversion and temperature. Finally, the effects of the range or category of different drivers on vegetation growth were systematically analyzed. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of the dynamic changes of vegetation based on a comprehensive consideration of the interaction of topography, climate, and human activities, taking into account the totality and variability of the geographical environment, and provide a reference for the ecological restoration and rational use of vegetation resources in the HJRB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Change at Multiple Time Scales under Climate Change and Human Activities)

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