Assessing the Ecological Assets in Coastal Zone Using Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Pudong New Area, Shanghai

Abstract

This paper presents a new system of indicators for ecological assets assessment and a method for evaluating ecological total assets. With Remote Sensing images of Pudong New Area in 1998 and 2005, we got down to calculating vegetation coverage, Vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and adjustment factor. The distribution pattern of ecological assets of Pudong New Area in 1998 and 2005 as well as the ecological environment degradation between them were analyzed and mapped using DEM, meteorological and mentioned ancillary data. The whole area was finally divided into five: fast-growing area, moderate growth area, basically maintained area, moderately degraded area and severely degraded area, of which the basically maintained areas account for a large proportion, however, there are a majority of degraded areas, and the growing areas don’t reach to 10%. Which reveal the ecological environment in Pudong New Area actually and tell us to spare no efforts to making friends with our nature.