Vegetation Properties in Human-Impacted Riparian Zones Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery: An Analysis of River Reaches in the Yongding River Basin

Liangsuo Ren; Yadong Liu; Shurong Zhang; Lirong Cheng; Yujing Guo; Aizhong Ding

doi:10.3390/f12010022

Forests (Dec 2020)

Vegetation Properties in Human-Impacted Riparian Zones Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery: An Analysis of River Reaches in the Yongding River Basin

Liangsuo Ren,
Yadong Liu,
Shurong Zhang,
Lirong Cheng,
Yujing Guo,
Aizhong Ding

Affiliations

Liangsuo Ren: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Yadong Liu: Beijing Center of Wetland Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Shurong Zhang: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Lirong Cheng: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Yujing Guo: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Aizhong Ding: Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f12010022
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
p. 22

Abstract

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Riparian zones, transitional areas between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, have high plant species diversities. However, they are extremely vulnerable to natural factors, such as changes in river hydrological conditions (floods, droughts) and disturbances from human activities (dams, farmland encroachment, etc.). The distribution of plant life forms and variations in the degree of vegetation coverage in a riparian zone can reflect changes in the environmental conditions. In this study, we analyzed eight reaches from the four main tributaries (Dongyang River, Yang River, Sanggan River, and Yongding River) of the Yongding River Basin, which were selected based on their climate, terrain, and degree of human disturbance. One reach was located on the Dongyang River (DYR), two reaches on the Yang River (YR1 and YR2), three on the Sanggan River (SGR1, 2, and 3), and two on the Yongding River (YDR1 and YDR2). Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology was used to obtain high-resolution, true-color, multispectral images. The distributions of the plant life forms and the differences in the vegetation coverage were analyzed in the eight selected riparian zones. The results showed that grasses dominated the riparian zone and shrubs and trees were sparsely distributed along both banks of all streams, excluding SGR2 and YDR1. The areas with an extremely high vegetation coverage classification accounted for the highest proportion in the DYR (29.3%), YR2 (48.1%), SGR1 (32.9%), SGR2 (39.9%), SGR3 (85.1%), YDR1 (36.7%), and YDR2 (51.1%) reaches. Extremely low vegetation coverage accounted for the highest proportion in the YR2 reach, reaching 37.4%. This study indicated that natural factors and human activities have a serious impact on the distribution of different plants life forms and vegetation coverage classifications in the riparian zones of the Yongding River Basin. We hope that this research can provide practical assistance in the efforts of ecological restoration and the management of riparian vegetation in the Yongding River Basin.

Published in Forests

ISSN: 1999-4907 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany: Plant ecology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/

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