GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH ›› 1997, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (3): 63-69.

### THE METHOD OF MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT GRADIENTANALYSIS BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATIONSYSTEM AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY

Liu Weiguo, Lü Minglun

1. LREIS, Institute of Geography, CAS, Beijing 100101
• Received:1996-10-15 Revised:1997-06-11 Online:1997-09-15 Published:1997-09-15

Abstract: The aim of environment gradient analysis is to explain the inter spatial relationships of each kind of environment factors.Although so many methods have been used for the analysis, the shortages of the traditional research, heavy work amount and operation miscellaneous, have not been overcome.On the base of the geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technology, a new method and flow-line of environment gradient analysis are set up in this paper.The advantage of the new method lies in simple operation and time-saving.With the remote sensing image processing software, the TM image of the research area was processed, classified, and the vegetation distribution map was produced quickly.The GIS also provides powerful spatial analysis ability such as overlay for multiple thematic maps integration analysis.In this paper, four environment factors, elevation, precipitation, soil and temperature, were selected and their thematic maps were overlaid with vegetation distribution map to analyze the relationships between vegetation distribution and them.In order to benefit statistics, the value of each environment factor was transformed into several gradients under certain condition respectively.On the unit of gradient of each environment factor, the distribution amount of each kind of vegetation is counted up by overlaying the vegetation distribution map and the distribution maps of other physical environment factors.The results show that the distribution of each kind of vegetation related to the environment factors concerned is approximately normal and the peak value of each normal is the best representative of the kind of vegetation.Thus, the vector expression with the normal distribution peak value of each factor can be used to describe the relationship between the environment factors and each kind of vegetation.And, the model of the differentiation of vegetation.community spatial distribution conformed to the environment gradient was built.Four thematic maps of selected environment factors were overlaid together to reclassify the vegetation distribution map depending on the above model and minimum distance classification method.The method was tested in the case study of Helan Mountain, and the results are satisfactory.

PACS:

• TP79