Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study
In China, the successive government has implemented ambitious programs and policies to reverse the decline in forest cover. As an essential source of freshwater and an ecological barrier for Beijing, Zhangjiakou City has implemented several forest expansion strategies. Topographic conditions in this...
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International Mountain Society
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Mountain Research and Development |
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| Online Access: | https://bioone.org/doi/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-18-00050.1 |
| _version_ | 1819178120214740992 |
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| author | Longhui Lu Yueqing Xu An Huang Chao Liu Raymundo Marcos-Martinez Ling Huang |
| author_facet | Longhui Lu Yueqing Xu An Huang Chao Liu Raymundo Marcos-Martinez Ling Huang |
| author_sort | Longhui Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In China, the successive government has implemented ambitious programs and policies to reverse the decline in forest cover. As an essential source of freshwater and an ecological barrier for Beijing, Zhangjiakou City has implemented several forest expansion strategies. Topographic conditions in this mountainous area have generated spatially heterogeneous afforestation outcomes. Quantifying the impact of these conditions on implemented forest programs could improve ecological restoration strategies of Chinese mountain areas. Using remotely sensed data from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, we generated land cover data to identify forest cover changes in Zhangjiakou City in 1989, 2000, and 2015. Forest cover data, topographic information (elevation, slope, aspect, land relief, and terrain niches), and spatial statistical models (geographically weighted regression [GWR]) were used to analyze re- and afforestation over 2 periods (1989–2000 and 2000–2015). The results show that forest cover in Zhangjiakou City increased by one third from 1989 to 2015. The rate of afforestation from 2000 to 2015 was 4 times the rate observed between 1989 and 2000. A trend toward gradual afforestation of higher-elevation and gentler-slope areas and land relief and terrain niche zones was observed between the 2 periods. Expansion mostly occurred in grasslands, arable lands, and unused lands. Elevation, slope, and land relief were the dominant topographic factors influencing forest cover change. Such factors influenced afforestation directly through their effect on microclimates and local biophysical conditions and indirectly by limiting the geographic area where forest programs could be implemented. Terrain niche was also an important predictor of forest cover change under complex topographic conditions. The GWR results indicate heterogeneous forest cover change processes across the study area. Our analysis could guide the implementation of effective forest expansion programs and policies, particularly for degraded mountain ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:37:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-902dc7069c1941ea893fd1d921dcccc4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0276-4741 1994-7151 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:37:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | International Mountain Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mountain Research and Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-902dc7069c1941ea893fd1d921dcccc42022-12-21T18:11:41ZengInternational Mountain SocietyMountain Research and Development0276-47411994-71512020-02-01401R48R60https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-18-00050.1Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case StudyLonghui Lu0Yueqing Xu1An Huang2Chao Liu3Raymundo Marcos-Martinez4Ling Huang5China Agricultural University, College of Land Science and Technology, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, China; Ministry of Natural Resources, Key Laboratory for Agricultural Land Quality, Monitoring and Control, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, ChinaChina Agricultural University, College of Land Science and Technology, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, China; Ministry of Natural Resources, Key Laboratory for Agricultural Land Quality, Monitoring and Control, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, China; xmoonq@sina.com China Agricultural University, College of Land Science and Technology, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, China; Ministry of Natural Resources, Key Laboratory for Agricultural Land Quality, Monitoring and Control, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, ChinaChina Agricultural University, College of Land Science and Technology, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, China; Ministry of Natural Resources, Key Laboratory for Agricultural Land Quality, Monitoring and Control, Yuanmingyuan West Road No. 2, 100193 Beijing, ChinaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Land and Water, Black Mountain, GPO Box 1700, ACT 2601, AustraliaMiyun No. 6 Middle School, Xingyun Road No. 23, 101500 Beijing, ChinaIn China, the successive government has implemented ambitious programs and policies to reverse the decline in forest cover. As an essential source of freshwater and an ecological barrier for Beijing, Zhangjiakou City has implemented several forest expansion strategies. Topographic conditions in this mountainous area have generated spatially heterogeneous afforestation outcomes. Quantifying the impact of these conditions on implemented forest programs could improve ecological restoration strategies of Chinese mountain areas. Using remotely sensed data from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, we generated land cover data to identify forest cover changes in Zhangjiakou City in 1989, 2000, and 2015. Forest cover data, topographic information (elevation, slope, aspect, land relief, and terrain niches), and spatial statistical models (geographically weighted regression [GWR]) were used to analyze re- and afforestation over 2 periods (1989–2000 and 2000–2015). The results show that forest cover in Zhangjiakou City increased by one third from 1989 to 2015. The rate of afforestation from 2000 to 2015 was 4 times the rate observed between 1989 and 2000. A trend toward gradual afforestation of higher-elevation and gentler-slope areas and land relief and terrain niche zones was observed between the 2 periods. Expansion mostly occurred in grasslands, arable lands, and unused lands. Elevation, slope, and land relief were the dominant topographic factors influencing forest cover change. Such factors influenced afforestation directly through their effect on microclimates and local biophysical conditions and indirectly by limiting the geographic area where forest programs could be implemented. Terrain niche was also an important predictor of forest cover change under complex topographic conditions. The GWR results indicate heterogeneous forest cover change processes across the study area. Our analysis could guide the implementation of effective forest expansion programs and policies, particularly for degraded mountain ecosystems.https://bioone.org/doi/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-18-00050.1forest policiesforest programsforestland changegeographically weighted regressionrestorationspatial heterogeneitytopographic factors |
| spellingShingle | Longhui Lu Yueqing Xu An Huang Chao Liu Raymundo Marcos-Martinez Ling Huang Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study Mountain Research and Development forest policies forest programs forestland change geographically weighted regression restoration spatial heterogeneity topographic factors |
| title | Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study |
| title_full | Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study |
| title_short | Influences of Topographic Factors on Outcomes of Forest Programs and Policies in a Mountain Region of China: A Case Study |
| title_sort | influences of topographic factors on outcomes of forest programs and policies in a mountain region of china a case study |
| topic | forest policies forest programs forestland change geographically weighted regression restoration spatial heterogeneity topographic factors |
| url | https://bioone.org/doi/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-18-00050.1 |
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