Distribution pattern of rocky desertification in southwest China and analysis of its main driving factors based on GIS and Geodetector

<p>Rocky desertification, a pressing environmental concern in Southwest China, significantly impacts local living conditions and regional sustainability. Employing remote sensing on a macro scale, this study focuses on identifying and analyzing the spatial distribution and driving factors of rocky desertification. Conducted in Southwest China, using Landsat data from Google Earth Engine for 2020, the research quantitatively extracts information on rocky desertification patches through traditional methods. Excluding unlikely areas using land use data, spatial distribution features and driving factors are examined via GIS spatial analysis and a geodetector model. The main conclusions are as follows. Rocky desertification covers 217,530.4 km² (accounting for 15.6% of Southwest China), with areas of slight, moderate, and severe rocky desertification at 81.3%, 7.1%, and 11.6%, respectively. Spatially, rocky desertification primarily occurs in areas where lithology is carbonate rock between clastic rocks and continuous limestone, slope exceeds 15°, elevation ranges is 1000–2000 m, land use types are grassland and woodland, precipitation is 80–120 mm, and population density is below 50 people/km². Human activities have minimal influence. Geodetector analysis identifies lithology, land use type, and slope as primary driving factors, with interactive effects of lithology and land use type and slope and land use type jointly influencing rocky desertification formation in Southwest China.</p>