Abstract:Vegetation coverage is a basic parameter in describing landscape ecosystem, and an im- portant index in assessing ecosystem health and security. Based on the four TM images in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005, and by using the correction model to deduct atmospheric radiation effect and the spatial operating model for TM image under unsupervised classification, the relationship model between vegetation coverage and normalized vegetation index was established, and the vegetation coverage in different phases in Guangzhou was calculated. The results showed that the vegetation coverage in Guangzhou decreased continuously from 1990 to 2000 but began to increase thereafter, which accorded with the economic development and environmental construction of the city. The model established in this paper could simulate well the dynamics of regional vegetation cover, and have the advantage in describing the dynamics of vegetation coverage more accurately, being availa- ble to the assessment of urban eco-environmental quality and its dynamic characters.