Remote sensing analysis of desert vegetation and its landscape changes: The case in middle reaches of Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China

Based on remote sensing information sources including B/W aerial photos of 1983,pseudo-color aerial photos of 1992 and JERS-1/OPS VNIR image of 1996, vegetation types ofYingbazha, in the middle reaches of the Tarim River Basin in Xinjiang, China are mapped usingARC/INFO and related software. The changes in vegetation areas and distribution conditions areanalyzed. As a result of natural and human influences, vegetation changes have temporal andspatial characteristics. According to the principles of landscape ecology and geographical informa-tion science, the landscape changes are indicated. Moreover, the remote sensing and GIS tech-niques are integrated to study vegetation and its landscape.