Quantifying the impact of natural and human activity factors on desertification in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Ying Zhi, Shulin Liu, Tao Wang, Hanchen Duan, Wenping Kang
Abstract
Accurately determining of the impact of natural and human activity factors on desertification will facilitate the development of effective strategies to combat desertification. Herein, the desertification dynamics of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) from 2000 to 2020 were inverted using the spatial combination of Albedo-MSAVI features. Geodetector and structural equation modelling were used to quantify the independent and interactive effects of factors on desertification, revealing the total effect on desertification through direct and indirect effects. Desertification was generally alleviated during the study period. The proportions of desertification undergoing significant reversal and reversal were 1.4 % and 23.8 %, respectively. The vegetation type, precipitation, soil type and temperature considerably affect the distribution of desertification compared to other driving factors. Compared to a single factor, the mutual interactions between two factors have nonlinear enhancement effects on the change in desertification. Climatic factors , natural environment and human activities directly influence desertification, while natural environmental factors affect desertification indirectly by influencing human activities and climate. Climatic factors make the greatest contribution to desertification of the QTP (62 %), followed by human activities (−36.8 %) and natural environment (8 %). Overall, the effects of human activities on the desertification of the QTP cannot be ignored, and the warming and humidification of the climate have curbed the process of desertification to a certain extent.