Vegetation dynamics and its driving force in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China

作者：Jiesheng Sun, Yuanyuan Ding, Yong Wang, E Chongyi · 发表于：Frontiers in Plant Science · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpls.2025.1691672 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Cryospheric studies and observations、Tree-ring climate responses、Fire effects on ecosystems

Qinghai Lake Basin is the largest endorheic basin in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The vegetation dynamics are subject to dual pressures from climate change and human activities. Previous studies have neglected the interactions among driving factors, as well as the impact of climate factors on vegetation under the regulatory role of topographic elements. The present study utilises MODIS-EVI data from 2001 to 2022 to estimate Fractional Vegetation cover (FVC) and to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation cover through trend analysis and other methods. Furthermore, it elucidates the effect of topographical factors on vegetation distribution. Finally, geographic detectors and the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) were employed to quantify the impact intensity of driving factors (including climate, human activities, topography, and soil) and analyze their interactive effects and influence pathways on vegetation cover. The results suggested that (1) FVC in the Qinghai Lake Basin increased significantly (1.38×10 - ³/a); notably, low-grade FVC areas exhibiting high volatility. (2) The terrain effect displays clear differentiation characteristics. FVC peaks in the elevation range of 3500–3800 m, FVC dispersion increased with slope, and semishady/shady slopes dominated FVC distribution. The vegetation improvement type is concentrated on low-elevation, flat slopes and shady slopes, whereas the vegetation degradation type is ...