1.National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station of Grassland Eco-hydrology on Northern Foot of Yinshan;Mountain,Inner Mongolia,China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research,Beijing 100381,China
2.College of Desert Control Science and Engineering,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,Hohhot 010018,China
Objective This study aims to clarify the spatial patterns and variation characteristics of vegetation cover in the Kuye River Basin, and its correlation with soil and water conservation services, reveal the core driving roles of topographic and climatic factors and the interaction effects of natural and social factors, and determine key suitability intervals, thereby providing a basis for investigating the relationship between vegetation cover and soil and water conservation services and its driving mechanisms in the river basin. Methods Based on the Landsat images from 1990 to 2020, the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) was inverted by the pixel dichotomy model, the soil and water conservation services were quantified using the InVEST model, and the driving mechanisms were revealed using the geodetector. Results The FVC in the river basin showed a spatial pattern of “low in the northwest and high in the southeast”. Over the past three decades, the overall improvement was significant, with improved areas accounting for 25.35% and degraded areas for 10.63%. Areas with vegetation improvement saw an increase of over 30% in soil retention rates, while areas with high vegetation cover (FVC>0.7) achieved soil retention rates exceeding 50 t/(hm2·a). Topographic factors (slope, terrain relief) and climatic factors (precipitation, sunshine) were the core driving factors of soil and water conservation services, with slope having the strongest explanatory power (q=0.449). Significant interactions between natural and social factors were observed, and key suitability intervals of vegetation and soil and water conservation services were identified. Conclusion Vegetation cover in the Kuye River Basin is significantly positively correlated with soil and water conservation services. Slope, terrain relief, and precipitation are the core driving factors of soil and water conservation services, with optimal ranges (such as slope 7.69° ~12.53°, precipitation 540~584 mm) identified.
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