Vegetation Cover Changes and Environmental Drivers in Typical Desert Fringe Areas of Northern China

ABSTRACT China is among the nations experiencing severe desertification, and several policies have been enacted to mitigate this issue. A thorough understanding of how natural processes and socioeconomic factors interact to shape the distribution of local vegetation is crucial to effectively address the widespread problem of desertification. This study investigates the dynamics of vegetation and environmental influences at the margins of deserts by utilizing MODIS data products. Through the application of the maximum synthesis method, trend analysis, and the geodetector method, this study offers a comprehensive exploration of vegetation changes and the underlying environmental factors shaping these changes. These findings indicate a discernible trend of increasing vegetation cover and notable spatiotemporal heterogeneity in desertification management in the study areas over the last 21 years. The Ta region (desert fringe of the Taklamakan Desert) presented the lowest vegetation growth rate (0.294%), followed by the Te region (desert fringe of the Tengger Desert) (0.505%), whereas the Mu region (desert fringe of the Mu Us sandy land) presented the highest growth rate (1.055%), indicating a gradient of recovery from west to east. The findings of this research indicate that the spatial pattern of vegetation distribution is determined by natural factors. However, socioeconomic factors have greater explanatory power than natural factors in explaining the local vegetation distribution. Additionally, the study underscores that the interaction between socioeconomic and natural factors holds greater significance than the influence of any single factor. These results offer valuable insights with practical implications for addressing desertification in China.