Beijing 2008 
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. Vol. XXXVII. Part B7. Beijing 2008 
981 
jpping index 
P 
0.100 
0.000 
0.000 
0.123 
0.990 
0.061 
0.000 
0.002 
0.912 
0.002 
0.104 
0.146 
0.977 
0.000 
0.000 
0.001 
0.000 
ice cropping 
ing 
5.95 
8 10 12 
e trends 
I VCI> 2 
change trend 
5. CONCLUSION 
Based on the understanding and definition of cropping index by 
remote sensing data, this study developed a method for 
extracting cropping index based on NDVI time-series. This 
method could correct cloud and other contaminations 
effectively. The most important part of this new method is 
circular correcting of curve based on the definition of “one- 
cropping”. By applying this new method to GIMMS NDVI data, 
the cropping index of 17 provinces of northern China from 
1982 to 2003 was extracted, and then the Cropping Index 
Variation of every arable land pixel during these 22 years was 
calculated by the Least Absolute Deviation linear regression 
method. The high accordance between remotely sensed 
cropping index data and statistical data suggests that this 
method could provide an effective way to extract spatial 
information of cropping index. 
Northern China experienced a cropping index increase from 
1982 to 2003, and VCI varies among different regions, with 
Huang-Huai-Hai drainage area experiencing a clear cropping 
index increase and other regions relatively less cropping index 
change. These results imply that it is possible to improve the 
food production of limited arable land by enhancing the 
cropping index. This is of value for regions and countries where 
food production suffers from arable land decrease along with 
economic growth. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
This work was supported by the Hi-tech Research and 
Development Program of China (863 program) under Grant 
2006AA12Z103. 
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