Spatial characteristic of vegetation change in Chongqing district using RS&GIS

Chongqing district is located in the southwest part of China. For the reason of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Chongqing district receives a lot of attention from the Chinese government and international societies. In the study, using normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)as an indicator of vegetation activity, seasonal trends of vegetation activity and their dynamic in Chongqing were explored based on remotely sensed data(VEGETATION) from 1998 to 2007. This study assessed the trend and temporal-spatial distribution of vegetation index change, which is related with vegetation cover change, using NDVI data, roads, residents, rivers data and collected field data. Data types converting and reclassifying and zonal statistic analysis are completed in Arcgis 9.0 software. the Ecological Capacity concept was applied in assessing the sustainable development of Chongqing. As a result, spatially averaged seasonal NDVI in Chongqing showed a pronounced increase during the decade. The average summer NDVI indicated the most significant increase and the way exhibited a large regional heterogeneity. From the southwest to the northeast, change amplitude showed a declining trend. The vegetation cover change is highly related with the activities of human beings in the regions. To achieve sustainable development, some development policies need to be modified.