Gridded Assessment of Ecological Vulnerability in Loess Hilly Region of Western Henan Province, China

Based on meteorological, remote sensing, socio-economic data in 2000 and 2019 and PSR (Pressure-State-Response) evaluation model, an evaluation index system of ecological vulnerability in the loess hilly region of western Henan Province was constructed. Using spatial principal component analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis, the ecological vulnerability of the study area was quantitatively evaluated with 2km×2km grid as the research scale, and the driving force of ecological vulnerability was determined by principal component load matrix analysis. The results show that: (1) The ecological environment in the Loess hilly region of western Henan showed a deteriorating trend from 2000 to 2019. (2) The vulnerability degree of the ecological environment in different counties was obviously different, and the vulnerability degree in the main city and suburbs was always at an extreme vulnerable level, while other regions showed different trends. (3) From 2000 to 2019, the ecological vulnerability had significant positive correlation and aggregation characteristics. The H-H clustering areas were mainly distributed in extreme vulnerable areas, while the L-L clustering areas are mainly related to negligible and light vulnerable areas. (4) The main driving factors of ecological vulnerability in the loess hilly region of western Henan are elevation, slope, terrain relief, degree of land use, annual mean precipitation, NDVI, annual mean temperature, land use type and urbanization rate.