IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i6p1788-d216884.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Kailash Sacred Landscape of China

Author

Listed:
  • Cheng Duan

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Peili Shi

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Minghua Song

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Xianzhou Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China)

  • Ning Zong

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Caiping Zhou

    (Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

Abstract

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) is an important driver of ecosystem function and services. Thus, LUCC analysis may lay foundation for landscape planning, conservation and management. It is especially true for alpine landscapes, which are more susceptible to climate changes and human activities. However, the information on LUCC in sacred landscape is limited, which will hinder the landscape conservation and development. We chose Kailash Sacred Landscape in China (KSL-China) to investigate the patterns and dynamics of LUCC and the driving forces using remote sensing data and meteorological data from 1990 to 2008. A supervised classification of land use and land cover was established based on field survey. Rangelands presented marked fluctuations due to climatic warming and its induced drought, for example, dramatic decreases were found in high- and medium-cover rangelands over the period 2000–2008. And recession of most glaciers was also observed in the study period. Instead, an increase of anthropogenic activities accelerated intensive alteration of land use, such as conversion of cropland to built-up land. We found that the change of vegetation cover was positively correlated with growing season precipitation (GSP). In addition, vegetation cover was substantially reduced along the pilgrimage routes particularly within 5 km of the routes. The findings of the study suggest that climatic warming and human disturbance are interacted to cause remarkable LUCC. Tourism development was responsible land use change in urban and pilgrimage routes. This study has important implications for landscape conservation and ecosystem management. The reduction of rangeland cover may decrease the rangeland quality and pose pressure for the carrying capacity of rangelands in the KSL-China. With the increasing risk of climate warming, rangeland conservation is imperative. The future development should shift from livestock-focus animal husbandry to service-based ecotourism in the sacred landscape.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheng Duan & Peili Shi & Minghua Song & Xianzhou Zhang & Ning Zong & Caiping Zhou, 2019. "Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Kailash Sacred Landscape of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:6:p:1788-:d:216884
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1788/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1788/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tandong Yao & Lonnie Thompson & Wei Yang & Wusheng Yu & Yang Gao & Xuejun Guo & Xiaoxin Yang & Keqin Duan & Huabiao Zhao & Baiqing Xu & Jiancheng Pu & Anxin Lu & Yang Xiang & Dambaru B. Kattel & Danie, 2012. "Different glacier status with atmospheric circulations in Tibetan Plateau and surroundings," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 663-667, September.
    2. Basanta Paudel & Jungang Gao & Yili Zhang & Xue Wu & Shicheng Li & Jianzhong Yan, 2016. "Changes in Cropland Status and Their Driving Factors in the Koshi River Basin of the Central Himalayas, Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Tammi, Ilpo & Mustajärvi, Kaisa & Rasinmäki, Jussi, 2017. "Integrating spatial valuation of ecosystem services into regional planning and development," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 26(PB), pages 329-344.
    4. Li, Shicheng & Zhang, Yili & Wang, Zhaofeng & Li, Lanhui, 2018. "Mapping human influence intensity in the Tibetan Plateau for conservation of ecological service functions," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(PB), pages 276-286.
    5. Fei Zhang & Hsiang-te Kung & Verner Carl Johnson, 2017. "Assessment of Land-Cover/Land-Use Change and Landscape Patterns in the Two National Nature Reserves of Ebinur Lake Watershed, Xinjiang, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-22, May.
    6. Andreas Kääb & Etienne Berthier & Christopher Nuth & Julie Gardelle & Yves Arnaud, 2012. "Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas," Nature, Nature, vol. 488(7412), pages 495-498, August.
    7. Yu, Dandan & Han, Shijie, 2016. "Ecosystem service status and changes of degraded natural reserves – A study from the Changbai Mountain Natural Reserve, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 56-65.
    8. Raju Rai & Yili Zhang & Basanta Paudel & Bipin Kumar Acharya & Laxmi Basnet, 2018. "Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Assessing the Ecosystem Service Values in the Trans-Boundary Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalayas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, August.
    9. Meiyappan, Prasanth & Dalton, Michael & O’Neill, Brian C. & Jain, Atul K., 2014. "Spatial modeling of agricultural land use change at global scale," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 291(C), pages 152-174.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Changjun Gu & Yili Zhang & Linshan Liu & Lanhui Li & Shicheng Li & Binghua Zhang & Bohao Cui & Mohan Kumar Rai, 2021. "Qualifying Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Service in Central Himalaya Transboundary Landscape Based on Google Earth Engine," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Michaela Žoncová & Pavel Hronček & Bohuslava Gregorová, 2020. "Mapping of the Land Cover Changes in High Mountains of Western Carpathians between 1990–2018: Case Study of the Low Tatras National Park (Slovakia)," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Tiangui Lv & Li Wang & Hualin Xie & Xinmin Zhang & Yanwei Zhang, 2021. "Exploring the Global Research Trends of Land Use Planning Based on a Bibliometric Analysis: Current Status and Future Prospects," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Xiaopei Wu & Can Yi & Wenwen Cui & Zhi Zhang & Chen Yan & Xiangcai Xie, 2023. "Analysis of Human Disturbance Features in Natural Reserves and Empirical Research on Their Restoration: A Case Study of the Huangchulin Nature Reserve in Fujian Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Rongyao Wang & Junsan Zhao & Guoping Chen & Yilin Lin & Anran Yang & Jiaqi Cheng, 2022. "Coupling PLUS–InVEST Model for Ecosystem Service Research in Yunnan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bhaskar Shrestha & Qinghua Ye & Nitesh Khadka, 2019. "Assessment of Ecosystem Services Value Based on Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Transboundary Karnali River Basin, Central Himalayas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Manish Mehta & Vinit Kumar & Pankaj Kunmar & Kalachand Sain, 2023. "Response of the Thick and Thin Debris-Covered Glaciers between 1971 and 2019 in Ladakh Himalaya, India—A Case Study from Pensilungpa and Durung-Drung Glaciers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Mohan Kumar Rai & Basanta Paudel & Yili Zhang & Pashupati Nepal & Narendra Raj Khanal & Linshan Liu & Raju Rai, 2023. "Appraisal of Empirical Studies on Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes and Their Impact on Ecosystem Services in Nepal Himalaya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, April.
    4. Raju Rai & Yili Zhang & Basanta Paudel & Narendra Raj Khanal, 2019. "Status of Farmland Abandonment and Its Determinants in the Transboundary Gandaki River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Rimal, Bhagawat & Sharma, Roshan & Kunwar, Ripu & Keshtkar, Hamidreza & Stork, Nigel E. & Rijal, Sushila & Rahman, Syed Ajijur & Baral, Himlal, 2019. "Effects of land use and land cover change on ecosystem services in the Koshi River Basin, Eastern Nepal," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 1-1.
    6. Chunqiao Song & Yongwei Sheng, 2016. "Contrasting evolution patterns between glacier-fed and non-glacier-fed lakes in the Tanggula Mountains and climate cause analysis," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 493-507, April.
    7. Bohao Cui & Yili Zhang & Zhaofeng Wang & Changjun Gu & Linshan Liu & Bo Wei & Dianqing Gong & Mohan Kumar Rai, 2022. "Ecological Risk Assessment of Transboundary Region Based on Land-Cover Change: A Case Study of Gandaki River Basin, Himalayas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-22, April.
    8. Srijana Shrestha & Khem Narayan Poudyal & Nawraj Bhattarai & Mohan B. Dangi & John J. Boland, 2022. "An Assessment of the Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change on the Degradation of Ecosystem Service Values in Kathmandu Valley Using Remote Sensing and GIS," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    9. Frankie Fanjie Zeng & Jiajun Feng & Yuanzhi Zhang & Jin Yeu Tsou & Tengfei Xue & Yu Li & Rita Yi Man Li, 2021. "Comparative Study of Factors Contributing to Land Surface Temperature in High-Density Built Environments in Megacities Using Satellite Imagery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Junhua Yang & Shichang Kang & Deliang Chen & Lin Zhao & Zhenming Ji & Keqin Duan & Haijun Deng & Lekhendra Tripathee & Wentao Du & Mukesh Rai & Fangping Yan & Yuan Li & Robert R. Gillies, 2022. "South Asian black carbon is threatening the water sustainability of the Asian Water Tower," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Jinlong Li & Genxu Wang & Chunlin Song & Shouqin Sun & Jiapei Ma & Ying Wang & Linmao Guo & Dongfeng Li, 2024. "Recent intensified erosion and massive sediment deposition in Tibetan Plateau rivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Zhang, Yanjie & Pan, Ying & Li, Meng & Wang, Zhipeng & Wu, Junxi & Zhang, Xianzhou & Cao, Yanan, 2021. "Impacts of human appropriation of net primary production on ecosystem regulating services in Tibet," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    13. Zhang, Qianwen & Gao, Wujun & Su, Shiliang & Weng, Min & Cai, Zhongliang, 2017. "Biophysical and socioeconomic determinants of tea expansion: Apportioning their relative importance for sustainable land use policy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 438-447.
    14. Basanta Paudel & Yili Zhang & Jianzhong Yan & Raju Rai & Lanhui Li & Xue Wu & Prem Sagar Chapagain & Narendra Raj Khanal, 2020. "Farmers’ understanding of climate change in Nepal Himalayas: important determinants and implications for developing adaptation strategies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 485-502, February.
    15. Jorge H. Amorim & Magnuz Engardt & Christer Johansson & Isabel Ribeiro & Magnus Sannebro, 2021. "Regulating and Cultural Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Infrastructure in the Nordic Countries: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-19, January.
    16. Cegielska, Katarzyna & Noszczyk, Tomasz & Kukulska, Anita & Szylar, Marta & Hernik, Józef & Dixon-Gough, Robert & Jombach, Sándor & Valánszki, István & Filepné Kovács, Krisztina, 2018. "Land use and land cover changes in post-socialist countries: Some observations from Hungary and Poland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-18.
    17. Li, Shicheng & Zhang, Heng & Zhou, Xuewu & Yu, Haibin & Li, Wangjun, 2020. "Enhancing protected areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    18. Richard Yao & David Palmer & Barbara Hock & Duncan Harrison & Tim Payn & Juan Monge, 2019. "Forest Investment Framework as a Support Tool for the Sustainable Management of Planted Forests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-22, June.
    19. Hao Wang & Yunfeng Hu, 2021. "Simulation of Biocapacity and Spatial-Temporal Evolution Analysis of Loess Plateau in Northern Shaanxi Based on the CA–Markov Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    20. Bohao Cui & Yili Zhang & Linshan Liu & Zehua Xu & Zhaofeng Wang & Changjun Gu & Bo Wei & Dianqing Gong, 2021. "Spatiotemporal Variation in Rainfall Erosivity and Correlation with the ENSO on the Tibetan Plateau since 1971," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-24, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:6:p:1788-:d:216884. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.