TY - JOUR
T1 - Determination Factors for the Spatial Distribution of Forest Cover
T2 - A Case Study of China’s Fujian Province
AU - Dong, Jiayun
AU - Zhou, Congyi
AU - Liang, Wenyuan
AU - Lu, Xu
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Understanding the determination factors of the spatial distribution of forest cover is crucial for global forest governance. This study contributed a nuanced case, focusing on the determination factors for the spatial distribution of forest cover in Fujian Province, China, in 2020. In order to achieve this, a high-resolution GIS-based data set was used, and spatial auto-correlation and geographic detector approaches were adopted. Three findings are presented in the results. First, the spatial distribution of forest cover is affected by natural conditions. In regions with more precipitation, higher altitude, or cooler temperatures, forest cover is higher. The relationship between the spatial distribution of forest cover and slope is an inverted-U shape. Second, socioeconomic factors have a greater explanatory capacity. In particular, regions with dense populations or roads have less forest cover. Third, there is an inverted-U-shaped relationship between the spatial distribution of forest cover and GDP per capita. With the growth of GDP per capita, forest cover is first positive, but subsequently negative. The results indicate that natural factors could shape the spatial distribution of forest cover, while socioeconomic factors could play a more significant role in the spatial distribution of forest cover.
AB - Understanding the determination factors of the spatial distribution of forest cover is crucial for global forest governance. This study contributed a nuanced case, focusing on the determination factors for the spatial distribution of forest cover in Fujian Province, China, in 2020. In order to achieve this, a high-resolution GIS-based data set was used, and spatial auto-correlation and geographic detector approaches were adopted. Three findings are presented in the results. First, the spatial distribution of forest cover is affected by natural conditions. In regions with more precipitation, higher altitude, or cooler temperatures, forest cover is higher. The relationship between the spatial distribution of forest cover and slope is an inverted-U shape. Second, socioeconomic factors have a greater explanatory capacity. In particular, regions with dense populations or roads have less forest cover. Third, there is an inverted-U-shaped relationship between the spatial distribution of forest cover and GDP per capita. With the growth of GDP per capita, forest cover is first positive, but subsequently negative. The results indicate that natural factors could shape the spatial distribution of forest cover, while socioeconomic factors could play a more significant role in the spatial distribution of forest cover.
KW - driving factors
KW - forest spatial distribution
KW - geographic detector
U2 - 10.3390/f13122070
DO - 10.3390/f13122070
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85144602252
SN - 1999-4907
VL - 13
JO - Forests
JF - Forests
IS - 12
M1 - 2070
ER -