Extracting desertification from Landsat TM imagery based on spectral mixture analysis and Albedo-Vegetation feature space

Land desertification has been a worldwide environmental problem. Desertification monitoring and evaluation are very important content in desertification context. Scientific and accurate evaluation of desertification can provide scientific basis for decision making in mitigating desertification. Because of the advantage of large amount of information, short cycle and broad scope of data, less restrictions on the human and material resources and so on, remote sensing has become an important technology to monitor land desertification in the past 30 years. Desertification is the most typical and serious form of desertification in China, especially in the oasis zone distributed along inland rivers or in the lower reaches of inland rivers in northwestern China. Quantitative evaluation of the current desertification remote sensing methods used is mostly obtained through the vegetation index and vegetation cover, to gain information on the extent of desertification. As the arid and semiarid sparse vegetation cover, soil and soil moisture on the most common vegetation index have a greater effect. First, based on the spectral mixture analysis model, three kinds of endmember consisting of vegetation, water and bare soil were selected. The image dimensionality was reduced by the minimum noise fraction (MNF). The pixel purity index transformation was used to narrow the range of the endmember. On the scatter plot of MNF, three kinds of endmember were selected, and relative abundance distribution of each component was obtained by using linear spectral mixture model. Second, a spectral feature space composed of vegetation component and land surface albedo retrieved from Landsat TM Imagery was constructed to evaluate desertification present condition and degree quantificationally. Last, an empirical study was carried out taking the middle reaches of Heihe River as an example. Results indicated that this method makes full use of multi-dimensional remote sensing information, reflecting the desertification land cover, water, thermal environment and its changes, with a clear biophysical significance, and the index is simple, easy to obtain, high precision, and is conducive to quantitative analysis, monitoring and desertification assessment of desertification. It was rather ideal to assess desertification on the basis of Albedo-Vegetation feature space: correct prediction proportion of testing samples reached 90.3 %. This method was beneficial to the desertification quantitative analysis and monitoring with the characteristics of simple index, easy accessibility and high accuracy.     

中国北方沙漠化的若干问题

随着经济、社会的发展,沙漠化问题对自然环境和社会发展的影响愈来愈深刻,已得到国际社会的普遍重视,作为沙漠化问题极其严重的国家,我国在对沙漠化的认识及治理上,经过多年工作取得了一些成就.本文根据已有的经验和研究成果,就中国北方沙漠化的成因、发展过程、灾害评价及防治机理等方面做一简单探讨,以便为今后更好地开展沙漠化研究工作起一定的参考作用.     

Evaluation of indicators for desertification risk assessment in part of Thar Desert Region of Rajasthan using geospatial techniques

Desertification has emerged as a major economic, social and environmental problem in the western part of India. The best way of dealing with desertification is to take appropriate measures to arrest land degradation, especially in areas prone to desertification. This requires an early warning system for desertification based on scientific inputs. Hence, in the present study, an attempt has been made to develop a comprehensive model for the assessment of desertification risk in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India, using 23 desertification indicators. Indicators including soil, climate, vegetation and socio-economic parameters were integrated into a GIS environment to get environmental sensitive areas (ESAs) to desertification. Desertification risk index (DRI) was calculated based on ESAs to desertification, the degree of land degradation and significant desertification indicators obtained from the stepwise multiple regression model. DRI was validated by using independent indicators such as soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. Multiple regression analysis shows that 16 indicators out of 23 were found to be significant for assessing desertification risk at a 99% confidence interval with \(R^{2}=0.83\). The proposed methodology provides a series of effective indicators that would help to identify where desertification is a current or potential problem, and what could be the actions to alleviate the problem over time.     

Spatial assessment of desertification in north Sinai using modified MEDLAUS model

This study aims to use spatial analyses and a geographic information system (GIS) to assess the environmental sensitivity for desertification in the north Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Based on the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) approach and the characteristics of the study area, a regional model was developed using GIS. Five main indicators of desertification including soil, climate, erosion, plant cover, and management were considered for estimating the environmental sensitivity to desertification. A spatial analyst extension Arc-GIS 10 software was used for matching the thematic layers and assessing the desertification index, of which the map of environmentally sensitive areas of the north Sinai Peninsula is produced. The obtained data reveals that 65 % of north Sinai is characterized by very severe sensitivity to desertification while the low sensitive one exhibits only 1.2 %. The moderately sensitive area occupies approximately 23 % of the study area. ETM+ and SPOT images are recommended to monitor sensitivity. The MEDALUS model was developed under the Egyptians to assess desertification sensitivity.     

中国土地荒漠化的概念、成因与防治

荒漠化是指人类历史时期以来,由于人类不合理的经济活动和脆弱生态环境相互作用造成土地生产力下降,土地资源丧失,地表呈现类似荒漠景观的土地退化过程。在中国北方荒漠化形成因素中过度放牧占30．1％,过度农垦占26．9％,过度樵采占32．7％,水资源利用不当占96％,工矿交通建设中不注意环境保护占0．7％,在地区上以北方农牧交错及旱农地区荒漠化最为严重。要采取因地制宜措施和建立健全而完善的治理实施系统以达到生态、经济和社会三个效益的目的。     

滇东喀斯特地区石漠化裸露红土的表层有机质含量分析

滇东石漠化地区裸露红土是近年来关注的一种特殊的类荒漠化景观。为了解红土裸露原因,在富源县、宣威市、罗平县等地石漠化裸露红土典型发育地段获取有植被覆盖红土及裸露红土表层样品进行有机质含量分析。结果表明,裸露红土表层有机质含量在0.06%~3.85%之间,平均值为1.31%,远低于同区域有植被生长的山原红壤样品及其它喀斯特地区土壤表层样品。石漠化过程中,植被破坏后土壤有机质大量流失,进而影响土壤结构、保水保肥能力等,导致红土裸露。滇东喀斯特地区成片分布的裸露红土应处在石漠化过程中植被退化但土壤尚未被完全侵蚀的阶段。      

内蒙古自治区东部荒漠化现状及危害

依据1994年《国际防治荒漠化公约》的荒漠化定义,对内蒙古自治区东部的荒漠化现状进行了调查与划分,对荒漠化的分布特征及危害类型进行了论述.内蒙古自治区东部存在沙质荒漠化、土壤盐渍化及水蚀荒漠化3种类型.现有荒漠化土地面积148521.65km²,占调查区总面积的54.76%.荒漠化的发展,造成内蒙古东部草原退化、诱发沙尘暴、地下水位下降等环境地质问题.     

Assessing the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation cover as an indicator of desertification in Egypt using multi-temporal MODIS satellite images

Desertification is the major environmental threat in the arid and semiarid regions. The soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) was used as an indicator to monitor the desertification change in Egypt. A multi-temporal satellite data of moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer were used to estimate SAVI and land surface temperature. Also, Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 and climatic data were used for the analysis. This research focuses on assessing the trend of the vegetation cover change in the seasons of January, March, June, September, and December for the years 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011. The magnitude of the vegetation cover change in periods 2002–2005, 2005–2008, and 2008–2011 at ≤100 and >100 m elevation was analyzed. A major increase in the vegetation cover that occurred in the period 2002–2005 was about 3,400 km², as a result of two national megaprojects (Toshka Project and El-Salam Canal). In contrast, vegetation cover decreased by 5,500 km² in March during the period 2005–2008, coinciding with the period when the management of the megaprojects failed. Vegetation cover changed again by 1,500 km² in the period of 2008–2011, and the vegetated areas in the Nile Delta were affected by the sea level rising which was responsible for the soil salinization. Three sites were chosen in this investigation (Kom Ombo, El-Oweinat, and Nile Delta) in order to observe the difference of desertification dynamics and to understand the relationship between the vegetation cover distribution and other environmental variables. Anti-desertification policies and advanced agricultural management are highly required in Egypt to decrease any environmental crises and food shortage.     

中国北方东部沙质荒漠化的地学观

中国北方东部的土地荒漠化主要受新构造运动以来的权造－沉积特征、青藏高原隆升所引起的全球气候变化、尤其是亚洲季风等地质背景控制。北方东部沙质荒漠化区域地质分类，按其成因可分为就地起沙型、风沙型和土地粗粒化型等3种类型。其中，就地起沙型沙质荒漠化主要分布在东部毛乌素、科尔沁、浑善达克、呼伦贝尔等沙地内，流经这些沙地的古河道，广泛发育河湖相砂质沉积物以及以砂质沉积物为母质的土壤分布区。风沙型沙质荒漠化主要分布在上述沙地的边缘地带，如毛乌素沙地以南的覆沙黄土区等。土地粗化主要分布在内蒙古锡林郭勒草原－河北坝上草原－河北坝上草原，其土壤类型多为含砾沙土，其土壤母质为基岩风化壳、残坡积或冲洪积物。荒漠化发展趋势上，尽管就地起沙型沙质荒漠化在毛乌素、科尔沁和浑善达达沙地的局部地区均有所逆转，但总体上，在北方广大地区，主要以地表土壤粗化为主的荒漠化和风沙型荒漠化等均有不同程度的扩大。上述不同类型的沙质荒漠化，总体上受地背景控制。其中，第四纪以来的构造－沉积特征控制着不同类型荒漠化的区域分布，气候变化控制着荒漠化的进程，人类活动则是在上述背景的基础上进行。     

喀斯特山区不同石漠化等级下土壤养分贮量与价值评估——以乌箐、偏岩等岩溶小流域为例

为探讨石漠化等级对土壤养分贮量与经济价值的影响,以贵州省金沙县喀斯特山区无石漠化农耕地(Ⅰ)为对照,在研究潜在(Ⅱ)、轻度(Ⅲ)、中度(Ⅳ)、重度(Ⅴ)石漠化土壤养分含量变化的基础上,采用土壤养分库贮量计算方法和价值替代法计算评估了不同石漠化等级下土壤养分贮量及其潜在价值。结果表明:(1)0~40cm土层有机质、全氮、水解氮、全磷、有效磷、全钾、速效钾含量分别为32.31~104.12g/kg、1.35~2.87g/kg、76.90~124.00mg/kg、0.49~1.12g/kg、1.03~10.71mg/kg,12.25~26.22g/kg、114.35~245.35mg/kg;(2)土壤养分总贮量和有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾贮量依次为3.79~61.41t/hm2和2.55~48.56t/hm2、0.13~1.36t/hm2、0.04~0.52t/hm2、1.07~10.97t/hm2;(3)土壤养分总价值和有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾价值分别为0.86~9.80万元/hm2和0.08~1.55万元/hm2、0.29~3.08万元/hm2、0.04~0.53万元/hm2、0.45~4.64万元/hm2;(4)土壤养分贮量、价值均以Ⅰ最高,Ⅴ最低,随着石漠化程度加剧,土壤养分含量、贮量和价值均下降。      

重庆南川区石漠化分布特征及其坡地利用模式分析

利用2004TM遥感影像,并结合地质、水文气象、土地利用图等,研究了重庆南川区石漠化的分布特征。结果表明,南川区石漠化分布具有如下特征:地层岩性上,石漠化集中发育在中生界三叠系嘉陵江、飞仙观、雷口坡组和下古生界奥陶系马家沟组碳酸盐地区的纯灰岩与其他灰岩和白云岩互层分布区中;气象水文上,石漠化集中分布在中部槽坝年均温为10~16℃、年降水量大于1200mm的地区;地形高程上,轻度石漠化和中度石漠化主要分布在海拔800~1200m之间,重度石漠化主要分布在600~800m之间,极重度石漠化主要分布在500~600m之间;土地利用上,轻度和中度石漠化主要分布于灌木林地中,重度以上石漠化则主要见于旱地。根据研究区石漠化的发育和分布特点,建议平缓坡地(<5°)推行稻田保护性耕作和加强无公害农产品基地建设;较缓坡地(5°~15°)发展农耕和种植园区;较陡坡地(15°~25°)种植藤本植物(金银花)、经济林果和生态林草;陡峻坡地(>25°)应长期封山育林,重点发展水源林和景观林。      

Geomorphological aspects of the process of desertification in Western Sudan

Desertification involves several morphodynamic processes which serve as indicators of the highly complex process of desertification and thus play an important role in its monitoring. Ecological degradation triggers off and enhances these morphological activities, which are mainly processes of soil changes, soil erosion, and the transport and accumulation of soils. These alterations of relief and soil result in hydrological changes which have negative effects on land productivity. Both geomorphological and desertification processes are so interwoven that it becomes difficult to differentiate clearly between causes and effects. As the field studies tackled here have been carried out in the sandy regions of western Sudan, special attention is being paid to aeolian erosion and accumulation. Fluvial processes play only a subsidiary role in the processes of desertification there.     

Soil properties as indicators of desertification in an alpine meadow ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

The objective of this study was to examine the variation of time and space and the effects of alpine meadow desertification, and the study area was selected at the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau of China. The sampling locations were categorized as the top, middle, bottom of the slope and flat in front of the slope, and the sites were classified as alpine meadow, light desertified land, moderate desertified land, serious desertified land, and very serious desertified land according to the level of alpine meadow desertification. This study examined spatial and temporal variability in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH, and soil bulk density due to wind erosion and documents the relationship between soil properties and desertification of alpine meadows. Desertification caused decreases to soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and increases to pH and soil bulk density. Soil properties were greatly affected by the level of alpine meadow desertification with the changes being attributed to overgrazing. The middle portion of slopes was identified as being the most susceptible to desertification. Carbon and nitrogen stocks were found to decrease as desertification progressed, the SOC stocks were 274.70, 273.81, 285.26, 196.20, and 144.36 g m^?2 in the alpine meadow, light desertified land, moderate desertified land, serious desertified land and very serious desertified land, respectively; and the TN stocks were 27.23, 27.11, 28.35, 20.97, and 17.09 g m^?2 at the top 30 cm soil layer, respectively. To alleviate desertification of alpine meadow, conservative grazing practices should be implemented.     

滇池流域石漠化特征分析

位于云南省会昆明盆地内的滇池流域是滇中岩溶和石漠化较为发育的地区,石漠化总面积225.56 km2,占流域总面积的7.71%,占岩溶总面积32.69%。石漠化主要分布在望海山、大板桥—呈贡、黑林铺、海口、梁王山、上蒜片区,其中又以北东部的大板桥片区石漠化最为严重。石漠化已造成流域内水土流失加剧、可耕地面积减少、土壤涵养水源能力降低及生态环境恶化等危害。通过地面调查和ETM遥感解译,查清了流域内石漠化的发育分布与碳酸盐岩的岩性及其组合、岩溶作用、地形地貌、气象等自然因素、人为因素和工业污染关系密切。针对石漠化的形成原因,提出了生态修复、农田基本建设、水资源开发利用、农村能源建设、小集镇建设、土地合理利用等治理措施。     

Assessing desertification by using soil indices

Desertification generally refers to land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry semi-humid climatic zones. It involves five principal processes: vegetation degradation, water erosion, wind erosion, salinization and waterlogging, and soil crusting and compaction. The aim of this study is assessing desertification using soil criteria. For this purpose, nine indices including sodium absorption ratio (SAR), soil gypsum percentage, soil texture, the content of HCO₃ ^?, the percentage of the organic matter, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, the content of the soil sodium, and chloride were used. The soil samples were taken in the north of Zayandeh-Rood River in Isfahan province of Iran, using soil data randomly sampled in a depth of 0–20 cm. After assessing the normality of the samples using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, indices were imported into GIS environment and interpolated with IDW and normal and discrete kriging methods for delineating soil characteristics maps based on MEDALUS model. In this model, the data were firstly changed from 100 to 200. Thus 100 and 200 are estimated as the best and worst quality, respectively. Then the final map of soil criteria has been created by geometric mean of its indicators. The results showed that the maximum area is related to the medium class of desertification and is equal to 44,746 ha. The areas of severe and very severe classes of desertification are equal to 30,949 and 351 ha, respectively. The results also revealed that the indices of the organic matter and soil gypsum percentage are the most influential indices which affect desertification phenomenon.     

《联合国荒漠与荒漠化年》简报

The UN should not confuse deserts with desertification. Deserts are good: they have biodiverse ecosystems and rich human cultures and histories. Deserts are not necessarily desertified. In contrast, desertification is bad: it is associated with degraded e…     

Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to Study Soil Degradation Processes in North Shaanxi Province, China

Satellite image data and thematic map data were used to provide comprehensive views of surface-bound conditions such as soil and vegetation degradation. The current work applies a computerized parametric methodology, developed by FAO, UNEP and UNESCO to assess and evaluate soil degradation at 1 : 250 000 mapping scale. The study area is located in the arid and semi-arid zone of the northern part of Shaanxi Province in China, a region with considerable agricultural potential; Landsat TM images were utilized to provide recent data on land cover and use of the area. ARC/INFO and Arc-View softwares were used to manage and manipulate thematic data, to process satellite images, and tabular data source. ER mapper software is utilized to derive the normalized difference vegetation index (ND VI) values while field data to estimate soil erodibility (SE) factor. A system is established for rating soil parameters, slope, climate factor and human factor activity. The rating values serve as inputs into a modified universal soil loss equation (USLE) to calculate the present state and risk for soil degradation processes, namely soil wind erosion. The produced maps and tabular data show the risk and the present status of different soil degradation processes. The study area, in general, is exposed to high risk of wind erosion and high hazards of water erosion. Several desertification maps were produced, which reflect the desertification types persisting in the study area. Wind erosion, water erosion, vegetation degradation,physical degradation and salinization are the basic desertification maps, and others are combinations of these basic maps. In terms of statistic analysis, 33.75 % of the total land area (120. 330 0 ha) is considered as sand or sand dune, and not included in our analysis of desertification. About 29. 41% of the total land area has slight or moderate desertification and 37. 465 % is facing severe desertification.     

中国东北平原西部荒漠化现状、成因及其治理途径研究

中国东北平原西部土地荒漠化,主要表现为土地沙漠化和土地盐碱化,它属于荒漠化的两种类型。东北 平原西部分布着科尔沁沙地和松嫩沙地,前者是全国五大沙漠之一。文章全面、系统地对该地区编制了 1∶1000000荒漠化图和量算出土地沙漠化面积。东北平原西部土地沙漠化面积为72280.6km²,占土地总面积的 22.2%。自20世纪50年代至80年代末,土地沙漠化面积迅速扩大,平均每年以1.5%～3.7%的速度递增;自9 年代以来,沙漠化呈现出逆转趋势,但就总体而言,沙漠化发展仍然大于逆转。东北平原西部土地盐碱化面积 33850.79km²,占土地总面积10.44%,主要分布在松嫩平原,面积为23329.19km²,占土地总面积15.2%,它是世 界上苏打盐碱化土壤的三大片之一,土地盐碱化每年以1.4%～2.5%速率正在发展。所以,该地区的土地荒漠化 不仅制约着当地农、牧业和农村经济的发展,影响周围和毗邻国家的生态环境安全,而且已危及当地人民的生存。 东北平原西部荒漠化的形成有自然因素和人为因素,前者有物源和气候变化等原因,后者有草原超载过牧、滥 垦、滥伐滥櫵、乱挖,河流上中游修建水库等原因,以及冻融作用的特殊原因,致使荒漠化形成和发展。文章总结了 该地区沙漠化正、逆过程的演变,并提出荒漠化的治理应根据荒漠化     

Study of Sand Dunes and Their Effect on Desertification of Cultivated Lands in Shaanxi Province, China Using Remote Sensing Techniques

About half of the arid and semi-arid lands in the world are deserts that comprise various types of aeolian sand dunes deposits. In Shaanxi Province, aeolian sand dunes cover considerable areas of the Yulin desert and northern Jinbian. Sand dunes are moving in the main wind direction and converting some agricultural area to wasteland. Remote sensing of sand dunes helps in the understanding of aeolian process and desertification. Remote sensing data combined with field studies are valuable in studying sand dunes, regional aeolian depositional history. In particular, active and inactive sand dunes of the north Shaanxi Province were studied using remote sensing and geographic information system. In this study, we describe the Landsat thematic mapper (TM) images, covering north Shaanxi Province, which were used to study the distribution, shape, size, trends, density and movement of sand dunes and their effect on desertification of cultivated lands. Estimation was made depending on soil erodibility factor (Ⅰ) and local climatic factor (C) during the period (June to September). The result indicates that soil erosion caused sand drift of 8.957 5, 7.03 ton for Yulin and Jinbian, respectively. The mean sand dunes movement rate were 4.37, 3.11 m, whereas, monthly sand dune advance rate were 1.092 5, 0.777 5 m, for the two locations, respectively. The study reveals that cultivated lands extended obliquely to the direction of sand dune movement are extremely affected, while other segments that extend parallel to the direction of the movement are not affected. Accordingly the north Shaanxi Province was divided into areas of different classes of potential risk. Moreover, blown sands and sand movement from neighboring highlands also affect the area of western desert.     

Vegetation pattern variation,soil degradation and their relationship along a grassland desertification gradient in Horqin Sandy Land,northern China

The Horqin Sandy Land is one of the most severely desertified regions in northern China. Plant communities and soil conditions at five stages of grassland desertification (potential, light, moderate, severe and very severe) were selected for the study of vegetation pattern variation relating to soil degradation. The results showed that vegetation cover, species richness and diversity, aboveground biomass (AGB), underground biomass, litter, soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), electrical conductivity, very fine sand (0.1–0.05 mm) content and silt (0.05–0.002 mm) content decreased with the desertification development. Plant community succession presented that the palatable herbaceous plants gave place to the shrub species with asexual reproduction and sand pioneer plants. The decline of vegetation cover and AGB was positively related to the loss of soil organic C and total N with progressive desertification (P < 0.01). The multivariate statistical analysis showed that plant community distribution, species diversity and ecological dominance had the close relationship with the gradient of soil nutrients in the processes of grassland desertification. These results suggest that grassland desertification results in the variation of vegetation pattern which presents the different composition and structure of plant community highly influenced by the soil properties.