Vegetation Pattern Analysis in the HeiHe River Basin within the Framework of Long-Term Optimization Project of the Mountain River Flow, Province of Gansu.

Baranova, Alina (2011) Vegetation Pattern Analysis in the HeiHe River Basin within the Framework of Long-Term Optimization Project of the Mountain River Flow, Province of Gansu. (Master thesis), State University of St. Petersburg, Russia ; University of Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Russia ; Hamburg, 39 pp.

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Abstract

The region of North-West of China is faced with different ecological problems, such as land degradation (mainly due to lack of water resources), desertification and water scarcity. The only reliable source of water supply for the arid low lands in the HeiHe river Basin is the water resources in the high elevation areas of the Qilian Mountains. Low land’s irrigation agriculture and urban water supply depend on the steadiness of water yield from the non-perennial tributaries in the source regions in the Qilian Mountains.
To investigate the steadiness conditions and to stabilize the water yield from the Southern Qilian Mountains, German-Chinese project of “Long-term optimization of water yield from the Qilian Mountains to the HeiHe River basin by an integrated development of water protection forests and land-use” in province of Gansu have been started. Current Master Thesis research was accomplished in the frames this project. The task for the research was to perform fine resolution land-use map for the Southern Qiliqn Mountains and Middle Hexi corridor, which didn’t exist before.
To implement the task of distant analysis of vegetation patterns Geographic Information Systems have been used. Multispectral image from Landsat-7 satellite, Thematic Mapper (TM ) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) have been used with NDVI overlay and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) sensor (to produced DEM) as the additional data layers to implement multi-source land cover classification using a well-known Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) method. Free Open source SAGA GIS software was chosen to fulfill the task.
Classification and interpretation of different landscape patterns, based on ecological and geomorphologic indicators from satellite imaginary data and intensive field investigations were performed. Based on it and supported with field ground-check GPS survey, Classification Map was developed. Also NDVI layer values were analyzed and show the changes in vegetation cover during the last 3 decades.
The results of the work are important for further mapping assessment and high resolution Classification map processing, as well as for the purpose of hydrological modeling and meteorological downscaling in the Project research. Understanding of the current status, classification and spatial distribution of degraded land is very important issue all over the word and for the regional development of in the Heihe river basin in particular.

Document Type: Thesis (Master thesis)
Keywords: China, Northwest; HeiHe River, Province of Gansu; Ecology; Vegetation; Water
Projects: POMOR
Date Deposited: 10 Mar 2015 08:52
Last Modified: 10 Mar 2015 08:52
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/27933

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