Spatial Scale Effect on Fractional Vegetation Coverage Changes and Driving Factors in the Henan Section of the Yellow River Basin

Abstract

Vegetation plays a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, and the FVC (Fractional Vegetation Coverage) is a key indicator reflecting the growth status of vegetation. The accurate quantification of FVC dynamics and underlying driving factors has become a hot topic. However, the scale effect on FVC changes and driving factors has received less attention in previous studies. In this study, the changes and driving factors of FVC at multiple scales were analyzed to reveal the spatial and temporal change in vegetation in the Henan section of the Yellow River basin. Firstly, based on the pixel dichotomy model, the FVC at different times and spatial scales was calculated using Landsat-8 data. Then, the characteristics of spatial and temporal FVC changes were analyzed using simple linear regression and CV (Coefficient of Variation). Finally, a GD (Geographic Detector) was used to quantitatively analyze the driving factors of FVC at different scales. The results of this study revealed that (1) FVC showed an upward trend at all spatial scales, increasing by an average of 0.55% yr−1 from 2014 to 2022. The areas with an increasing trend in FVC were 10.83% more than those with a decreasing trend. (2) As the spatial scale decreased, the explanatory power of the topography factors (aspect, elevation, and slope) for changes in FVC was gradually strengthened, while the explanatory power of climate factors (evapotranspiration, temperature, and rainfall) and anthropogenic activities (night light) for changes in FVC decreased. (3) The q value of evapotranspiration was always the highest across different scales, peaking notably at a spatial scale of 1000 m (q = 0.48).