Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Ecological Vulnerability and Driving Factor Analysis in the Dongjiang River Basin, China, in the Recent 20 Years

The global ecological environment faces many challenges. Landsat thematic mapper time-series, digital elevation models, meteorology, soil types, net primary production data, socio-economic data, and auxiliary data were collected in order to construct a comprehensive evaluation system for ecological vulnerability (EV) using multi-source remote sensing data. EV was divided into five vulnerability levels: potential I, slight II, mild III, moderate IV, and severe V. Then, we analyzed and explored the spatio-temporal patterns and driving mechanisms of EV in the region over the past 20 years. Our research results showed that, from 2001 to 2019, the DRB was generally characterized as being in the severe vulnerability class, with higher upstream and downstream EV classes and a certain amount of reduction in the midstream EV classes. Moreover, EV in the DRB continues to decrease. The spatio-temporal EV patterns in the DRB were significantly influenced by the relative humidity, average annual temperature, and vegetation cover over the past 20 years. Our work can provide a basis for decision-making and technical support for ecosystem protection, ecological restoration, and ecological management in the DRB.