Quantitative analysis of NDVI driving factors based on the geographical detector model in the Chengdu-Chongqing region, China

In the circumstance of global change, studying the dynamic changes of vegetation and the factors that influence it holds immense practical significance to monitor the quality of the regional ecological environment and improve the structure and function of ecosystems. Therefore, based on NDVI data, combined with natural and anthropogenic activities, this study focused on the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and stability of NDVI in the Chengdu-Chongqing region from 2001 to 2020 at multiple spatiotemporal scales, and quantitatively investigates the main influencing factors driving vegetation NDVI spatial differentiation using Theil-Sen Medium slope estimation, Mann-Kendall significance, stability analysis and geographical detector. The findings indicated that: (1) The overall NDVI exhibited favorable levels over the 2001–2020 period; (2) The upward trends observed in the NDVI values indicated an enhancement in the ecological environment of the investigation area; (3) The spatial coefficient of variation for NDVI in the investigation region was computed as 0.048, suggesting a high degree of stability in NDVI values across the region; (4) NDVI is primarily affected by a range of variances in natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities. The collective influence of environmental factors and anthropogenic activities holds a more substantial sway over NDVI. The research results aim to offer guidance for the execution of vegetation restoration initiatives and the establishment of policies for the preservation of the ecological environment in the upstream region of the Yangtze River.