Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions
Vegetation disturbance and recovery are key factors in shaping ecological governance policies in arid regions, especially under the accelerating impacts of global climate change. However, most studies focus on broad trends, often neglecting fine-scale spatial and temporal variations. In this study,...
| Published in: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007861 |
| _version_ | 1849289640081620992 |
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| author | Shuai Wang Shengwei Zhang Ying Zhou Xingyu Zhao Ruishen Li Xi Lin Meng Luo Lin Yang Qian Zhang Shengwei Lv Yilong Yang |
| author_facet | Shuai Wang Shengwei Zhang Ying Zhou Xingyu Zhao Ruishen Li Xi Lin Meng Luo Lin Yang Qian Zhang Shengwei Lv Yilong Yang |
| author_sort | Shuai Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | Ecological Indicators |
| description | Vegetation disturbance and recovery are key factors in shaping ecological governance policies in arid regions, especially under the accelerating impacts of global climate change. However, most studies focus on broad trends, often neglecting fine-scale spatial and temporal variations. In this study, we developed indices for vegetation disturbance and recovery based on kNDVI (kernel-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and surface albedo, combined with the LandTrendr algorithm, to assess vegetation dynamics in China’s arid regions from 2000 to 2023. Our results show that compared to traditional indices, the new indices capture subtle changes in vegetation disturbance and recovery with greater accuracy. Approximately 63.26 % of the region experienced at least one disturbance, primarily in the north-central arid regions, while 27.64 % experienced multiple disturbances, and 36.74 % remained undisturbed. Around 80.14 % exhibited recovery, mostly in the northern Tibetan Plateau, the vegetated margins of the Tarim Basin, and western Mongolian Plateau. The innovative combination of kNDVIand Albedo enhances the accuracy of vegetation dynamics assessment, offering a transferable Indicator for monitoring dryland ecosystems globally. These findings provide valuable insights into ecosystem resilience and inform ecosystem restoration strategies in the context of climate change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bfcf2edeb94b4deeb98e51de3e4da9cd |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-bfcf2edeb94b4deeb98e51de3e4da9cd2025-09-09T04:53:30ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-09-0117811385610.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113856Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regionsShuai Wang0Shengwei Zhang1Ying Zhou2Xingyu Zhao3Ruishen Li4Xi Lin5Meng Luo6Lin Yang7Qian Zhang8Shengwei Lv9Yilong Yang10College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, China; Key Laboratory of Water Resources Protection and Utilization of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 010018 Hohhot, China; Autonomous Region Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, 010018 Hohhot, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, China; Corresponding author at: 306 Zhaoda Road, Saihan District, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 010018, China.Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Water Resources Research Institute, 010051 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010018 Hohhot, ChinaVegetation disturbance and recovery are key factors in shaping ecological governance policies in arid regions, especially under the accelerating impacts of global climate change. However, most studies focus on broad trends, often neglecting fine-scale spatial and temporal variations. In this study, we developed indices for vegetation disturbance and recovery based on kNDVI (kernel-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and surface albedo, combined with the LandTrendr algorithm, to assess vegetation dynamics in China’s arid regions from 2000 to 2023. Our results show that compared to traditional indices, the new indices capture subtle changes in vegetation disturbance and recovery with greater accuracy. Approximately 63.26 % of the region experienced at least one disturbance, primarily in the north-central arid regions, while 27.64 % experienced multiple disturbances, and 36.74 % remained undisturbed. Around 80.14 % exhibited recovery, mostly in the northern Tibetan Plateau, the vegetated margins of the Tarim Basin, and western Mongolian Plateau. The innovative combination of kNDVIand Albedo enhances the accuracy of vegetation dynamics assessment, offering a transferable Indicator for monitoring dryland ecosystems globally. These findings provide valuable insights into ecosystem resilience and inform ecosystem restoration strategies in the context of climate change.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007861Vegetation indexDisturbance and recoveryLandTrendrArid regions |
| spellingShingle | Shuai Wang Shengwei Zhang Ying Zhou Xingyu Zhao Ruishen Li Xi Lin Meng Luo Lin Yang Qian Zhang Shengwei Lv Yilong Yang Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions Vegetation index Disturbance and recovery LandTrendr Arid regions |
| title | Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions |
| title_full | Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions |
| title_short | Vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index: evidence from China’s arid regions |
| title_sort | vegetation disturbance and recovery assessment through the synergistic effects of albedo and vegetation index evidence from china s arid regions |
| topic | Vegetation index Disturbance and recovery LandTrendr Arid regions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007861 |
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