Effects of ecological restoration projects on changes in land cover: A case study on the Loess Plateau in China.

ABSTRACT: Changes in land cover have become key components of global environmental change and represent the impact of human activity. To better understand the fundamental processes of land transition characteristics before and after the implementation of ecological programmes, we determined the dominant systematic changes in land cover in Yongshou, a hilly-gully region on the Loess Plateau. This was achieved by performing an in-depth analysis of a cross-tabulation matrix and a modified spatial dynamic degree model. Our results indicated that (1) forest land and cultivated land were the most important land cover types in Yongshou and their persistence would greatly affect the landscape pattern of the entire region; (2) the most significant changing signals in the study area during the periods 1992-20

SUBMITTER: Zhao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359563 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature