Effects of land use/land cover and climatic change on the ecosystem of North Ningxia, China

Land use/land cover change (LUCC) and climate changes are responsible for degradation of any ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions. Studying the ecological variations is particularly essential for any type of sustainable development, in which LUCC considers as one of the chief inputs. The main objective is to evaluate the impacts of LUCC and climatic changes on the Ecosystem Vulnerability (ESV) using remote sensing and some statistical models around the Yellow River, Ningxia, China. Eleven classes of LUCC were identified during 1995 and 2019: village land, bare land, grassland, industrial land, irrigated land, swamp land, tidal flat, transportation land, urban land, water bodies, and water channels. Grassland may be decreased annually with percentage − 5.873% due to some human activities and environmental changes in climate from one season to another. About 24.23 km2 and 24.86 km2 was converted from grassland to industrial lands and irrigated lands, respectively. ESV has been calculated using LULC, DEM, slope, soil, and geology. About 45% and 60% of 1995 and 2019, respectively, undergone moderate vulnerability. The annual rate of ESVI decreased in low and reasonable but it was increased in moderate, high, and extreme showing – 4.166% as a total percentage of annual vulnerability. High vulnerability area needs proper management. Majority of vegetation area is located in zone under the moderate vulnerability zone; in contrast, grasslands were subjected to high vulnerability. Areas around the Yellow River were subjected to drought and flooding due to climatic change affecting negatively on the production of crops. Also, the desert lands of the study area have been turned to agriculture according to statistical model. Population growth, industrial development, and governmental policies for ecosystem protection were responsible for major changes. This study is more beneficial for decision-making in eco-environmental protecting and planning. Results of this study could help planners in formulating effective strategies for better management of ecosystem.