Mapping the spatial distribution of alpine shrubs on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau using Sentinel-2 images

Abstract

ABSTRACT Shrubs are typical vegetation on the Qinghai – Tibet Plateau, and their spatial distribution pattern is crucial for understanding the regional ecological environment. Existing global land cover products cannot represent shrubs well in this area, and the relationship between shrubs and the corresponding environmental factors is still unclear. In this study, using the Dogxung Zangbo River Basin as an example, Sentinel-2 images were applied to estimate the regional shrub fraction image, using the random forest regression model trained with samples generated from fine-resolution Jilin-1 images. The estimated shrub fraction image was further analysed using an elevation dataset to explore the impact of topography on the spatial distribution of shrubs. The results showed that using Sentinel-2 images acquired in both plant growing and non-growing seasons can better distinguish shrubs from grass than using only one season of data, and the coefficient of determination and root-mean-square error derived from this model were 0.821 and 0.087, respectively. The shrub distribution was strongly correlated with topography. In the study area, areas with a southeast or south orientation and large slope are more suitable for shrub growth.