Vegetation Change and Driving Factors: Contribution Analysis in the Loess Plateau of China during 2000–2015

Judging vegetation change and analyzing the impacts of driving factors on vegetation change are important bases on which to evaluate the effects of ecological engineering constructions on the Loess Plateau and to support ecological construction planning decisions. The authors applied time-section difference analysis and trend analysis methods to analyze the temporal–spatial characteristics of vegetation change on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015. Then, complex linear regression analysis and residual analysis methods were applied to estimate the contribution rates of driving factors to regional vegetation changes. The results showed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2015, most areas of the Loess Plateau became “greener”. These areas were mainly distributed in the southern part of Shanxi Province, the northern and central parts of Shaanxi Province, and the eastern part of Gansu Province. (2) In 2015, the overall contribution rate of meteorological factors (temperature and precipitation) to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the Loess Plateau was as high as 87.7%. The average contribution rate of non-meteorological factors (mainly referring to human activities) to vegetation NDVI was 6.4%.