Spatio - temporal variations of vegetation ecological quality in Zhejiang Province and their driving factors.

Zhejiang Province is both the birthplace of the theory that both the mountain of gold and silver and the lushmountain with lucid waters are required (also known as the Two Mountains theory) and the first ecological province in China. The study on the vegetation ecological quality of Zhejiang can be used as an important reference for the construction of ecological civilization. Based on multi - source remote sensing data and meteorological observation data, this study investigated the spatio - temporal variations of vegetation ecological quality in Zhejiang during 2000-2020, as well as their response to climate factors and human activities. The results show that: (1) Both the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) and the net primary production (NPP) in Zhejiang showed an upward trend during 2000-2020, with significantly increased vegetation greenness; (2) The vegetation eco - environmental quality in Zhejiang showed a fluctuating upward trend during 2000-2020, with the vegetation ecological quality indices (VEQIs) of mountainous areas significantly higher than those of basin and plain areas; (3) The dominant factor driving the VEQI variations in Zhejiang during 2000-2020 is human activities, while climate factors occupied a dominant position only in some areas of southwestern Zhejiang. This study deepens the understanding of the spatio - temporal variations of vegetation ecological quality in Zhejiang and their driving factors and, thus, is of great significance for the construction of ecological civilization in Zhejiang and even other regions in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]