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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Geoscience and Society
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2024.1432434
This article is part of the Research Topic Exploration, Development, and Protection of Earth’s Resources and Environment: Methods, Techniques, Applications, Prospects, Insights, and Problems View all 19 articles

Habitat quality assessment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau across vegetation ecoregions using InVEST and Geodetector models

Provisionally accepted
Farui Jiang Farui Jiang 1,2Chonghao Liu Chonghao Liu 1*Jianan Zhao Jianan Zhao 3*Baode Jiang Baode Jiang 2Fengyan Fan Fengyan Fan 1
  • 1 Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 2 China University of Geosciences Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
  • 3 Other, Guangdong, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau holds a significant position in the global ecosystem. Its unique high altitude and complex geographical features foster rich biodiversity. In contrast, the high-altitude environment and distinctive climate system significantly influence the Asian monsoon and regional hydrological cycles.Its vast glaciers and snow reserves are vital in regulating the Asian climate. Previous studies have analyzed the habitat quality of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but significant variations exist across different vegetation ecoregions. Further investigation into these variations and their influencing factors is needed.This study focuses on a comprehensive assessment of habitat quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, aiming to elucidate how human activities, climate change, and grazing intensity collectively impact the region's ecological environment. Through detailed analysis of vegetation ecoregions and land use data, employing the InVEST Model and Geodetector Model, the specific impacts of these factors on habitat quality were evaluated, and the efficacy of ecological red-line policies in actual conservation efforts was examined. The results indicate that habitat quality among vegetation ecoregions is shaped by a complex interaction of geographical and human-induced factors, leading to notable spatiotemporal variations. From 2000 to 2020, the quality of habitats in the plateau's six vegetation ecoregions was significantly impacted by human activities, climate change, grazing intensity, and land use changes. These effects were especially prominent during the period from 2005 to 2010. This study focuses on vegetation ecoregions, offering new insights into changes in habitat quality and their driving factors. It establishes a scientific basis for developing more targeted ecological conservation measures and sustainable development strategies.

    Keywords: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, habitat quality, InVEST model, GeoDetector model, Ecological Red-line Policy, Climate Change, Human Activities, Grazing intensity

    Received: 14 May 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Jiang, Liu, Zhao, Jiang and Fan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Chonghao Liu, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100037, China
    Jianan Zhao, Other, Guangdong, China

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