Spatial and temporal changes in inter-annual and seasonal NDVI in the Qinling mountains of China

Abstract

As an important ecological barrier in central China, the Qinling Mountains have received more attention in response to global or regional climate change. Spatial and temporal changes of inter-annual and seasonal NDVI were analysed after extraction of the vegetation growth season, based on MODIS NDVI images and linear trend analysis. The results showed that: (1) the NDVI value and vegetation cover level of the Qinling Mountains were high. The NDVI showed significant annual and seasonal increases, in which the summer value contributed the most to the inter-annual value, followed by spring and autumn. In terms of the change trend, the NDVI showed a linear increase in annual and seasonal data, in which the spring growth rate contributed the most to the inter-annual value, followed by autumn and summer. (2) The spatial distribution of the linear change trend of the NDVI in the inter-annual and seasonal data was mainly increased, but the area of reduction was also large. The area of reduced NDVI was mainly distributed in the middle and western area with middle and high elevations, as well as urban neighbourhoods with intensive human activities, such as the Hanzhong basin, the Ankang basin, and the Shangluo basin. The rate of change in NDVI in human activity areas was higher than in the middle and higher elevation areas. The change may be driven by human activities in the former and by climate change in the latter. Monitoring of the vegetation ecological system in the Qinling Mountains should be strengthened to understand the change process, as well as to provide a scientific basis when making policies for regional ecological environmental protection.