Abstract: In this paper, the temporal and spatial variation and spatial distribution of plant coverage in Enshi were analyzed by transfer matrix and statistical analysis based the plant cover data which extracted from the remote sensing images during 2007 to 2015 by using RS and GIS technology and using the normalized vegetation index and pixel dichotomy model. The comparison analysis showed that the plant coverage in Enshi City was mainly of the plant coverage over comparative high level, and the proportion of the plant coverage over the third was more than 68%. The overall distribution was characterized by lower plant coverage in the central and north-eastern regions, and gradual increasing to the south-west and the north-west. The highly plant-covered area was mainly in the south-west and the south-east. The plant coverage of Enshi showed positive growth trend during 2007 to 2015 and has no degradation of partial and overall. The transfer-out area of medium and the comparative higher plant cover was basically shifted to the highly plant covered area. The area of the plant highly covered was increased by a total of 910.3 km², the increasing proportion was 22.98%. The plant coverage of most area in Enshi was at a high level of coverage, and presented growth trend in total from 2007 to 2015.

Key words: Enshi city, remote sense, plant coverage, dynamic change, spatial distribution