Ecological influence of oasisation on peripheral regions

• Published in: International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation Vol. 132; p. 104004
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xueyuan, Song, Yongze, Dewan, Ashraf, Guo, Zecheng, Cao, Xiaoyan, Bie, Qiang, Xie, Yaowen, Ma, Xu, Ren, Kai, Zhang, Haoyan, Xi, Guilin, He, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-08-2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ecological quality; Nighttime light data; Oasis peripheral area; Remotely sensed ecological index; Remotely sensed ecological index; Oasis peripheral area; Ecological quality; Nighttime light data
• ISSN: 1569-8432
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2024.104004

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•Nighttime light data was introduced to evaluate human activities in Hexi.•Range of the impact about oasis on the peripheral ecological environment was 12 km.•Expansion of the oasis improved the ecological quality of the peripheral areas.•Driving factors of ecological quality widely varied among different oasis areas.
Sustainable development of oases enhances the capability of ecosystems to reverse land degradation in arid regions. However, it is unclear to what extent oasisation leads to ecological quality (EQ) degradation in the peripheral environment. To comprehensively evaluate the ecological effects of oasisation, this study developed a remote sensing ecological quality index to characterise spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of EQ in different oasis-type areas. Results show that the oasis area has increased by 37.4 % in the past 22 years. The EQ of the core area was stable, but EQ declined in newly developed urban areas. The effect range of the oasis on the peripheral regions EQ is 12 km, and the expansion of the oasis is improving the EQ of peripheral regions. The driving factors of EQ varied widely among different oasis areas. The vegetation index showed significant explanatory power (q-mean is 0.45) in each oasis area. Human activities and soil moisture showed the most significant explanatory power (0.76) in the core area, but weak power is observed in the changed and peripheral areas. Climate factors have the strongest influence on the changed and peripheral areas. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of the spatial heterogeneity of EQ and could be implemented in Oasis urban planning and sand prevention belt construction.