An Ecological Quality Evaluation of Large-Scale Farms Based on an Improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index

Abstract

The ecological quality of large-scale farms is a critical determinant of crop growth. In this paper, an ecological assessment procedure suitable for agricultural regions should be developed based on an improved remote sensing ecological index (IRSEI), which introduces an integrated salinity index (ISI) tailored to the salinized soil characteristics in farming areas and incorporates ecological indices such as the greenness index (NDVI), the humidity index (WET), the dryness index (NDBSI), and the heat index (LST). The results indicate that between 2013 and 2022, the mean IRSEI increasing from 0.500 in 2013 to 0.826 in 2020 before decreasing to 0.646 in 2022. From 2013 to 2022, the area of the farm that experienced slight to significant improvements in ecological quality reached 1419.91 km2, accounting for 71.94% of the total farm area. An analysis of different land cover types revealed that the IRSEI performed more reliably than did the original RSEI method. Correlation analysis based on crop yields showed that the IRSEI method was more strongly correlated with yield than was the RSEI method. Therefore, the proposed IRSEI method offers a rapid and effective new means of monitoring ecological quality for agricultural planting areas characterized by soil salinization, and it is more effective than the traditional RSEI method.