The impact of super typhoon on varying vegetation types in eastern coastal China: implications for coastal ecosystem and disaster risk management

The eastern coastal region is highly vulnerable to typhoons threatening human livelihoods and ecosystem services. To evaluate the impact of super typhoons on diverse coastal terrestrial ecosystems, super typhoon Lekima was used as a case study to assess the recovery of satellite-based vegetation indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Water Index (LSWI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and Near-Infrared Reflectance (NIRV). Spatial analysis revealed that areas in close proximity to the storm track (≤10 km) and experiencing high wind intensity, particularly the eastern and northern coastal Zhejiang and Shandong Provinces, respectively (with elevations ≤10 m), suffered considerable vegetation damage. Post-typhoon recovery patterns indicated that vegetation in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shanghai took approximately four months to return to pre-disturbance levels, whereas that in Shandong recovered within two months. The faster recovery in Shandong was likely driven by weaker storm intensity, more favorable post-typhoon temperature and humidity, and the prevalence of fast-regenerating vegetation types such as croplands. These findings provide critical insights into the ecological risks associated with extreme weather events and highlight the importance of incorporating risk assessments into coastal ecosystem management and disaster preparedness strategies.