Changes in vegetation condition in areas with different gradients (1980–2010) on the Loess Plateau, China

This study characterized and compared changes in vegetation condition in areas with different gradients during the past three decades across the entire Loess Plateau. For this purpose, changes in vegetation type and vegetation coverage at sites with 0 – 15° and >15° slope gradients were determined by analyzing land use data and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, respectively. The software Arc/Info 9.3, land use transformation matrix, linear regression analysis, and Mann–Kendall test were used for the data processing and analysis. Policy influences, human impacts, and climate variability were also taken into account to find the reasons for vegetation condition change. The results indicated that the “Grain-For-Green” project achieved initial success. Areas of farmland and grassland changed most extensively, and far greater areas of farmland were transformed into forest and grassland than vice versa. Moreover, the conversion of farmland to forest and grassland mainly occurred in areas where slopes exceeded 15°, while grassland was mainly changed to farmland in areas with gentle slopes. Vegetation coverage on the Loess Plateau exhibited overall increases after the implementation of “Grain-For-Green” project. Regions with sparse vegetation have declined sharply, mostly in steeply sloped areas. Vegetation coverage has increased significantly in most regions, particularly in the parts traversed by the principal sediment source of the Yellow River, which could help to control the severe soil and water losses. However, regions with sparse vegetation on the Loess Plateau still covered 71.1 % of the total area in 2010. Therefore, it is important to further increase vegetation coverage in the future.