Using Landsat TM Imagery to Detect Desertification in Gonghe Basin at the Upper Reaches of the Yellow River

In recent years, the ecological environment in the upper reaches of the Yellow River has been degraded due to natural and human factors. Environmental problems such as grassland degeneration, sandy desertification and water erosion have seriously affected regional economic sustainable development. The objective of this paper was to detect sandy desertification in the upper reaches of the Yellow River by means of remote sensing and GIS. The Gonghe Basin was chosen as the study site, which is one of the most seriously degraded regions in the area. Based on an analysis of the multi-temporal and multi-spectral Landsat TM data with GIS, sandy desertification processes were detected. The results show that sandy desertified land has increased and intensified seriously in the upper reaches of the Yellow River for the period from 1987 to 1996. There are two desertification processes at work in the study area: sand dune reactivation and development of badlands through wind erosion. Excessive human activities play an important role in the occurrence and development of desertification in this area. At present, acceleration of the desertification process is attributed to irrational human economic activities. Grasslands as well as the ecological environment of this area have been seriously degraded, which has affected the regional economic sustainable development and endangered the security of the Longyangxia reservoir. It is necessary and urgent to combat desertification and protect the environment. The results show that full use of remote sensing data with GIS in monitoring and assessing desertification is an effective measure of quantitative research.