Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Variation in Water Coverage in the Sub-Lakes of Poyang Lake Based on Multi-Source Remote Sensing

Abstract

As the largest freshwater lake in China, Poyang Lake is an internationally important wetland and the largest migratory bird habitat in Asia. Many sub-lakes distributed in the lake basin are seasonal lakes, which have a significant impact on hydro-ecological processes and are susceptible to various changes. In this study, using multi-source remote sensing data, a continuous time-series construction method of water coverage suitable in Poyang Lake was developed. That method combined the downscaling of the MNDWI (modified normalized difference water index) with the ISODATA (iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm), and its accuracy can be up to 97% in the months when Landsat 8 is available or 87% when it is unavailable. Based on that method, the increasing variation in water coverage was observed in the sub-lakes of Poyang Lake during 2013–2020 to be within a range of 200–690 km2 normally. The center of the sub-lakes always remained inundated (>80% inundation frequency), while the surrounding areas were probably kept dry for seven months (except for June to September). The dominant influencing factors of water coverage variations were different in different hydrological periods (wet season and dry–wet season: discharge; dry season: temperature and wind speed; wet–dry season: temperature and precipitation). In addition, “returning farmland to lakes” affected the increase in the water area in the sub-lakes. This study is helpful for the management of water resources and the protection of migratory birds in the Poyang Lake region.