Applications of the remote sensing technique in eco-environmental division in Qinghai Province

Abstract：Qinghai Province is located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is characterized by unique relief and highly varied eco-environments. However, owing to the vast expanse of the province and harsh environmental conditions, the present general features of the eco-environment of the province are little understood. The authors used multi-time-image data and multivariate remote data for image processing methods, and supported by the computer image processing system and through experiments with different image processing methods, they selected the U.S. Landsat-5TM7.4.1 images for extracting remote sensing factors that reflect the integrated features of eco-environment; by referring to the features of the transitional factor and non-remote sensing factors, the authors made eco-environmental division in Qinghai. The whole province is divided into two eco-environmental regions, seven eco-environmental subregions and 31 districts. Through this study, the authors have got a macroscopic understanding of the present state of the eco-environment in Qinghai and also reached the aim of discussing the relevant techniques used in the application.