Investigation on eco-environmental effects of land use/cover-landscape pattern and climate change in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve

Abstract

Based on Landsat TM/OLI remote sensing images of 1998, 2006 and 2014, we analyzed the land use/cover changes of the Ebinur Lake areas using ArcGIS and ENVI software. The research area is divided into three specific research units on spatial scale to analyze the land use/cover change. The effects of land use/cover change on eco-environment were analyzed based on the changes of landscape pattern and climate. The regional ecological safety index was calculated from the ecological risk index of land use/cover and quantitative relationship between the land use/cover type in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve. Analysis of ecological environment quality was analyzed for the entire study area as well as portions of the study area. The results showed that water and others (bare land and gobi) were the major land cover type in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve. Over the past three decades, water had the largest average patch area, water and others had the highest patch area index than the other land use type, while salinized land had the higher dimension index. In addition, the cohesion indices of water and others were higher and showed a smoothing trend, while forest and grassland showed a discrete distribution, high degree of fragmentation, and inferior connectivity. Shannon's diversity indices showed an increasing trend in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve from 1998 to 2014. The overall landscape pattern tended to be equalization, however, the control function of wetland have reduced and landscape heterogeneity have increased. The overall eco-environment index of Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve had an increase trend from 1998-2014, but improvement and deterioration of eco-environment coexist and the specific portion of the study areas showed significant spatial differences. Transformations from salinized land and others to wetland and from desert to others were major changes of land uses and landscape. Transformation from wetland to salinized and desert was the major environmental degradation in the area. The precipitation showed a decreased trend according to the meteorological data of 1998-2014, and decreased the survival rate of plants which led to the decline of vegetation coverage and affected the healthy development of the ecological environment. A multiple linear regression equation was established based on the analysis of the driving mechanism. The results showed the change of ecological environment index in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve was significantly correlated with average patch area, fractal dimension index, and annual runoff. This study provided useful information for future land use planning and management, and policy formulation of ecological restoration and economic development in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve.

Publication Title

Huanjing Kexue Xuebao/Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae

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