Abstract: Based on the sub-pixel analysis model, and by using 2000-2009 MODIS NDVI (250 m resolution), this paper quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal change characteristics and their causes of fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) in Shannxi Province. From 2000 to 2009, the FVC in the Province had a significant increasing trend, with the great magnitude of 35.0%. During that period, the vegetation coverage increased from 56.9% in 2000 to 68.9% in 2009 in the provincial scale, and the increment was much higher in northern Shannxi, being 21.6% in Yulin and 22.0% in Yan’an. Though the vegetation coverage had an overall increase, it was locally degraded in some areas. The areas with improved vegetation coverage at the significance levels of  <0.01, and <0.05 were 37.8% and 11.9%, while those with non-improved and degraded vegetation coverage were 46.1% and 4.2%, respectively. The areas whose vegetation coverage had a change rate of 200%, 200%-100%, 100%-10%, 10%-10%, and < -10% occupied12.2%, 13.3%, 38.8%, 29.3%, and 6.4% of the total, respectively. During the study period, the structure of vegetation coverage in the Province also improved. The areas with high and normal vegetation density increased significantly by 10% and 8.4%, respectively, while the area with low vegetation density decreased significantly by 18.4%. The improvement of the FVC in Shaanxi Province was the interactive effect of natural factors and human activities, but the main cause was the implementation of a series of ecological construction projects such as closing hill for forestation and restoring farmland into forestland and grassland.

Key words: fractional vegetation coverage, sub-pixel analysis model, Shaanxi Province