Spatio-temporal changes of rice cropping system in Anhui Province from 2010 to 2020

Abstract

Monitoring changes in rice production is of significant importance for addressing food security concerns in China. However, obtaining long-term, high-resolution rice planting maps is challenging due to the influence of cloud cover and temporal resolution limitations. This study, conducted on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, utilizes Landsat and Sentinel data and employs the difference in normalized difference vegetation index method (dNDVI) to extract the distribution in rice cultivation systems in Anhui Province over the past decade. The results indicate that, between 2010 and 2020, the area of single cropping rice cultivation in Anhui Province increased by 12513.612 km², while the area of double cropping rice cultivation decreased by 13527.892 km². The rice replanting index declined by 31%. With a notable shift observed in 2015, where a substantial area of double cropping rice was replaced by single cropping rice cultivation. Consequently, over the past decade, there has been a gradual decrease in the rice cultivation area in Anhui Province, accompanied by a significant shift from double to single cropping cultivation, and a continuous decline in the replanting index. This research provides vital clues for a deeper understanding of the rice planting pattern, offering scientific support for the sustainability of food production.