Study on spatial-temporal dynamic change of vegetation coverage and its influencing factors in blue economic zone of Shandong Peninsula: taking Qingdao as a case

Abstract

The vegetation cover of Qingdao city has changed significantly under the dual influence of climate change and the implementation of blue ocean strategy. The spatial- temporal dynamic change characteristics of vegetation coverage in Qingdao were quantitatively studied on the county-level scale and the man-made and natural driving factors were analysed spatial-statistically by using the dichotomy pixel model Based on Landsat remote sensing data of Qingdao in 2000, 2008 and 2016. The results suggest that: (1) the overall evolution of vegetation coverage declines from 65% to 63% from 2000 to 2016. (2) Significant spatial difference of vegetation coverage is found at the county scale. The vegetation coverage of Jiao Nan increased, while that of Jimo decreased from 2000 to 2008. Jiao Nan had the highest vegetation coverage between 2008 and 2016, while Jiao Nan, western Jimo and Pignut all increased significantly. The vegetation coverage of eastern coastal urban area dropped dramatically to reach the lowest record in each phase of the three-year data. (3) The influence of climate factors on vegetation coverage is not significant, while the human activity is the leading factor causing the evolution of vegetation coverage in Qingdao where urbanization is negatively correlated with the change in vegetation coverage. Furthermore, population migration also has an impact on the vegetation coverage.