Search Results (641)

The coordinated development of park green spaces (PGS)with urban functional areas (UFA) has a direct impact on the operational efficiency of cities and the quality of life of residents. Therefore, an in-depth exploration of the coupling patterns and influencing factors between PGS and UFA is fundamental for efficient collaboration and the creation of high-quality living environments. This study focuses on the street units of Fuzhou’s central urban area, utilizing multi-source data such as land use, points of interest (POI), and OpenStreetMap (OSM) methods, including kernel density analysis, standard deviational ellipse, coupling coordination degree model, and geographical detectors, are employed to systematically analyze the spatial distribution patterns of PGS and UFA, as well as their coupling coordination relationships. The findings reveal that (1) both PGS and various UFA have higher densities in the city center, with a concentric decrease towards the periphery. PGS are primarily concentrated in the city center, exhibiting a monocentric distribution, while UFA display planar, polycentric, or axial distribution patterns. (2) The spatial distribution centers of both PGS and UFA are skewed towards the southwest of the city center, with PGS being relatively evenly distributed and showing minimal deviation from UFA. (3) The dominant type of coupling coordination between PGS and various UFA is “Close to dissonance”, displaying a spatial pattern of “high in the center, low on the east-west and north-south wings”. Socioeconomic factors are the primary driving force influencing the coupling coordination degree, while population and transportation conditions are secondary factors. This research provides a scientific basis for urban planning and assists planners in more precisely coordinating the development of parks, green spaces, and various functional spaces in urban spatial layouts, thereby promoting sustainable urban development. Full article

The Ebinur Lake Basin (ELB), which is a typical watershed in an arid region, has an extremely delicate natural ecosystem. Rapid urbanisation and economic growth have triggered substantial ecological and environmental transformations in this key economic hub of Xinjiang. However, a comprehensive and systematic knowledge of the evolving ecological conditions in the ELB remains limited. Therefore, this study modelled the landscape ecological risk index (LERI) using land use/land cover (LULC) data from 1985 to 2022 and assessed the drivers of landscape ecological risk (LER) using a geographical detector model (GDM). The findings revealed that (1) from 1985 to 2022, the construction land, cropland, and forestland areas in the ELB increased, whereas those of water bodies, grasslands, and barren land decreased. (2) Between 1985 and 2022, LER in the ELB showed a downward trend. Spatially, LER was predominantly characterised by lower and lowest risk levels. The higher and highest risk status has been around Ebinur lake and has continued to improve each year. (3) Climatic factors, particularly temperature and precipitation, were identified as the most significant drivers of the LER change from 1985 to 2022. The findings provide crucial scientific knowledge for advancing sustainable development and maintaining ecological security in the ELB. Full article

In the Bamen Bay area of the Qinglan Harbor Mangrove Provincial Nature Reserve in Wenchang, Hainan Province, China, mangrove aboveground biomass (AGB) was estimated using high-resolution UAV ortho-imagery and UAV LiDAR data. The spatial distribution characteristics of AGB were studied using global Moran’s I index and hotspot analysis. Optimal geographic detectors and regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between AGB and key environmental factors. The results indicate that (1) the average AGB in the study area was 141.22 Mg/ha, with significant spatial variation. High AGB values were concentrated in the southwestern and northeastern regions, while low values were mainly found in the central and southeastern regions. (2) Plant species, water pH, soil total potassium, salinity, dissolved oxygen, elevation, soil organic matter, soil total phosphorus, and soil total nitrogen were identified as major factors influencing the spatial distribution of AGB. The interaction results indicate either bifactor enhancement or nonlinear enhancement, showing a significantly higher impact compared with single factors. (3) Comprehensive regression model results reveal that soil total nitrogen was the primary factor affecting AGB, followed by soil total potassium, with water pH having the least impact. Factors positively correlated with AGB promoted biomass growth, while elevation negatively affected AGB, inhibiting biomass accumulation. The findings provide critical insights that can guide targeted conservation efforts and management strategies aimed at enhancing mangrove ecosystem health and resilience, particularly by focusing on key areas identified for potential improvement and by addressing the complex interactions among environmental factors. Full article

Exploring the interrelationships and influencing factors of the multifunctionality of cultivated land is crucial for achieving its multifunctional protection and sustainable use. In this paper, we take the Min River basin as a case study to construct a multifunctional evaluation system based on “agricultural production, social security, ecological service, and cultural landscape” using multi-source data. We analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of the multifunctionality of cultivated land through kernel density estimation (KDE) and visual mapping. Subsequently, we assess the trade-off strength between the multifunctional aspects of cultivated land using the root mean square error (RMSD). Finally, we identify the drivers of the multifunctional trade-off intensity of cultivated land and analyze their influencing mechanisms using Geographic Detectors. The results show that (1) from 2010 to 2020, the multifunctional structure of cultivated land in the study area underwent significant changes: the levels of agricultural production, social security, and ecological service functions first increased and then decreased, while the levels of cultural landscape function and comprehensive function continued to increase. The spatial distribution is characterized, respectively, by “high in the east and low in the west”, “high in the west and low in the east”, “high in the north and low in the south”, “high in the whole and sporadically low in the northeast”, and “high in the middle and low in the surroundings”. (2) During the study period, the trade-off strengths related to social security functions increased, while the trade-off strengths of the remaining multifunctional pairs of cultivated land showed a weakening trend, with high values of trade-off strengths among functions particularly prominent in the Nanping Municipal District. (3) Both natural and human factors significantly affect the multifunctional trade-off strength of cultivated land. Among the specific factors, elevation, slope, average annual temperature, and per capita GDP are the key factors influencing the strength of the trade-offs between functions. The results of this study provide empirical support for enriching the understanding of the multifunctionality of cultivated land and offer a decision-making basis for promoting the differentiated management of cultivated land resources and the synergistic development of its multifunctionality. Full article

With the rapid development of the world economy, pollution of urban and rural ecological environments and the decline in anti-risk capabilities are becoming more serious. In order to promote sustainable improvement of urban and rural ecological resilience, based on previous independent research on urban and rural resilience, this paper combines the two to carry out collaborative development research. The dynamic evolution and driving force heterogeneity in the coordinated development level of urban and rural ecological resilience in Yunnan Province in China from 2013 to 2022 were studied using the coordination degree model of composite system and geographical detector. The results show the following: (1) The urban and rural ecological resilience levels in Yunnan Province increased annually, but urban ecological resilience (0.178) lagged behind that of rural areas (0.376). Compared to rural areas, the overall spatial difference in urban ecological resilience level is significant. (2) The overall level of urban–rural ecological resilience synergy in Yunnan Province has been increasing annually, from “no synergy” to “primary synergy”. However, there are great differences between prefectures and cities. (3) The combination of urban and rural driving factors is more conducive to improving urban–rural ecological resilience. The interaction between the per capita water supply and fertilizer consumption is the primary and critical driving factor. In the future, we will continue to take the coordinated development of urban and rural ecological resilience as the theme, further expand the research field, and carry out future development trend prediction research. This study provides new ideas for the construction of ecological resilience in similar countries and regions worldwide. Full article

The Yellow River source area is an important eco-fragile and sensitive zone in the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau, where anthropogenic disturbances, climate change, and environmental problems have negatively affected the amount of water in the basin, which directly impacts the ecological security and high-quality sustainable development of the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, this study takes the Yellow River source area as its research area. Based on eight periods of land use from 1985 to 2020, topographic, soil, and meteorological data are combined, and a locally modified InVEST model and geological detector method are used to simulate watershed water production, evaluate the spatial differentiation characteristics of watershed water production, and analyze its spatial heterogeneity attribution. The results revealed that water production from 1985 to 2020 varied within the interval of 152.08–302.44 billion m³, with alternating decreases and increases and an overall upward trend. In the spatial distribution, the depth of water production is high in the east and low in the west, and the high-water-production area is concentrated in the counties of Maqin and Gande. In the vertical gradient, the water production capacity is strengthened with increasing altitudes. The spatial differentiation of the water production service and degree of influence is jointly determined by multiple factors. In this work, the parameter Z of the InVEST model was locally corrected to increase the applicability of the Z value to the Yellow River Basin to improve the accuracy of the simulation results, and the spatiotemporal differences in water yield from multiple perspectives were analyzed to provide a scientific basis for the ecological protection and high-quality sustainable development of the Yellow River Basin. Full article

Forest defoliating pests are significant global forest disturbance agents, posing substantial threats to forest ecosystems. However, previous studies have lacked systematic analyses of the continuous spatiotemporal distribution characteristics over a complete 3–5 year disaster cycle based on remote sensing data. This study focuses on the Dendrolimus superans outbreak in the Changbai Mountain region of northeastern China. Utilizing leaf area index (LAI) data derived from Sentinel-2A satellite images, we analyze the extent and dynamic changes of forest defoliation. We comprehensively examine the spatiotemporal patterns of forest defoliating pest disasters and their development trends across different forest types. Using the geographical detector method, we quantify the main influencing factors and their interactions, revealing the differential impacts of various factors during different growth stages of the pests. The results show that in the early stage of the Dendrolimus superans outbreak, the affected area is extensive but with mild severity, with newly affected areas being 23 times larger than during non-outbreak periods. In the pre-hibernation stage, the affected areas are smaller but more severe, with a cumulative area reaching up to 8213 hectares. The spatial diffusion characteristics of the outbreak follow a sequential pattern across forest types: Larix olgensis, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Picea koraiensis, and Pinus koraiensis. The most significant influencing factor during the pest development phase was the relative humidity of the year preceding the outbreak, with a q-value of 0.27. During the mitigation phase, summer precipitation was the most influential factor, with a q-value of 0.12. The combined effect of humidity and the low temperatures of 2020 had the most significant impact on both the development and mitigation stages of the outbreak. This study’s methodology achieves a high-precision quantitative inversion of long-term disaster spatial characteristics, providing new perspectives and tools for real-time monitoring and differentiated control of forest pest infestations. Full article

The Grain for Green Program (GFGP) plays a critical role in enhancing watershed vegetation cover. Analyzing changes in vegetation cover provides significant practical value in guiding ecological conservation and restoration in vulnerable regions. This study utilizes MOD13Q1 NDVI data to construct the Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (kNDVI) and analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution and future trends of vegetation cover from 2000 to 2020, covering key periods of the GFGP. The study innovatively combines the optimal parameter geographic detector with constraint lines to comprehensively reveal the nonlinear constraints, intensities, and critical thresholds imposed by various driving factors on the kNDVI. The results indicate that the following: (1) The vegetation cover of the Luo River Basin increased significantly between 2000 and 2020, with a noticeable increase in the percentage of high-quality vegetation. Spatially, the vegetation cover followed a pattern of being “high in the southwest and low in the northeast”, with 73.69% of the region displaying improved vegetation conditions. Future vegetation degradation is predicted to threaten 59.40% of the region, showing a continuous or future declining trend. (2) The primary driving factors for changes in the vegetation cover are evapotranspiration, elevation, population density, and geomorphology type, with temperatures and GDP being secondary factors. Dual-factor enhancement or nonlinear enhancement was observed in interactions among the factors, with evapotranspiration and population density having the largest interaction (q = 0.76). (3) The effects of driving factors on vegetation exhibited various patterns, with thresholds existing for the hump-shaped and concave-waved types. The stability of the kNDVI in 40.23% of the areas showed moderate to high fluctuations, with the most significant fluctuations observed in low-altitude and high-temperature areas, as well as those impacted by dense human activities. (4) By overlaying the kNDVI classifications on the GFGP areas, priority reforestation areas totaling 68.27 km² were identified. The findings can help decisionmakers optimize the next phase of the GFGP and in effective regional ecological management. Full article

The rapid increase in population and economic activities has greatly influenced land use and spatial development. In urban agglomerations where socioeconomic activities are densely concentrated, the clash between ecological protection and economic growth is becoming more evident. Therefore, a thorough quantitative assessment of spatial changes driven by land use dynamics, alongside an examination of temporal and spatial driving factors, is crucial in offering scientific backing for the long-term and sustainable growth of urban agglomerations. This paper focuses on the major urban agglomerations in China’s Yangtze River Delta region, examining the spatiotemporal evolution of land use and landscape patterns from 2000 to 2020. By employing the standard deviation ellipse technique, coupled with multiple linear regression and the geographical detector model, we conduct a quantitative assessment of the directional trends in urban construction land expansion as well as the diverse impacts of temporal and spatial factors on this expansion across various periods and regions. The findings indicate that over the past 20 years, construction land in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration expanded in concentrated patches, showing significant scale effects with relatively intact farmland and forest land being increasingly encroached upon. Landscape-type transitions predominantly occurred in cities around Taihu Lake and Hangzhou Bay, with the most significant transition being farmland converted to construction land, resulting in a greater number of patches and more pronounced land fragmentation. Throughout the 20 years, the standard deviation ellipse of construction land in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration expanded and shifted, with the predominant expansion trending from the northwest toward the southeast, and the EN orientation being the most intense expansion area, covering 1641.24 km². The influence of temporal and spatial driving factors on the expansion of urban construction land differed across various periods and regions. This study thoroughly examines the driving factors that affect the evolution of urban construction land in the region, offering valuable scientific evidence and references for future planning and development of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, aiding in the formulation of more precise and efficient urban management and land use strategies. Full article

Studying spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and the driving factors in the Yellow River Basin as well as simulating and predicting future land use is crucial for resource management, ecological protection, and regional sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin. Based on the China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD) of the Yellow River Basin from 1990 to 2021, this study employs various methods such as the Mann–Kendall test and sliding t-test, land use dynamics, the land use transfer matrix, the standard deviation ellipse, the center of gravity migration model, and a geographic detector to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and driving forces in the Yellow River Basin over the past 30 years. Additionally, the study predicts land use types in the study area for the year of 2030 by using the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model. The results show the following: (1) From 1990 to 2021, the area of forest, grassland, water, and impervious surfaces increased significantly, while the area of cropland, shrub, barren land, and wetlands decreased significantly. The most actively changing land use types are cropland, grassland, barren land, and impervious surfaces. (2) The center of gravity for shrub and impervious surfaces shifted westward, while wetlands showed a trend of obvious concentrated distribution, and the remaining land use types exhibited stable directional distributions. (3) Economic factors had a stronger driving effect on land use changes than topographic and climatic factors. The land use changes in the Yellow River Basin are influenced by the coordinated driving forces of multiple factors. (4) In 2030, the main land use types in the Yellow River Basin are still expected to be cropland, grassland, and forest. However, there will be a significant expansion of impervious surfaces and forest land, with substantial encroachment on cropland and grassland. Full article

Evaluating environmental sustainability in the transnational basin of the Tumen River (TBTR) is of great significance for promoting sustainable development in Northeast Asia. However, past research has mostly concentrated on a particular environmental element, making it impossible to thoroughly and effectively show the environmental sustainability dynamics in this transnational area. In this study, we attempted to reveal environmental sustainability trends in the TBTR from 2000 to 2021 using the Environmental Degradation Index (EDI) and analyze the driving forces using a geographical detector. It was found that the TBTR’s environmental sustainability decreased significantly, with a degraded region (13,174.75 km²) accounting for 31.01% of the whole area from 2000 to 2021. The dynamics of environmental sustainability on the three sides of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia have shown significant differences, with the most significantly improved in environmental sustainability being the subregion of China. On the Chinese side, the area that significantly improved in environmental sustainability accounted for 26.19% of the area on the Chinese side, which was 1.17 times higher than that of the DPRK’s side and 1.24 times higher than that of the Russian side. Land use intensity (LUI), land use and land cover (LULC), and population density (PD) were the most dominant driving forces for environmental sustainability dynamics on the three sides of China, the DPRK, and Russia. China, the DPRK, and Russia can improve international environmental cooperation to promote sustainable development in the TBTR and Northeast Asia. Full article

Optimizing urban land use is of significant practical importance for promoting economic development, enhancing the standard of living for individuals residing in metropolitan areas, enhancing urban infrastructure and public services, driving urban transformation and upgrading, and attaining synchronized progress of the economy, society, and environment. This paper uses the super-efficiency SBM model to measure the urban land use efficiency (ULUE) of 13 cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration from 2005 to 2020 and explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of ULUE in this urban agglomeration using analysis of spatial data and application of geographic detector methods. The results show that (1) from 2005 to 2020, the ULUE of the BTH urban agglomeration had an initial rise followed by a decline; however, the overall efficiency score is above 1, suggesting an overall effective state; (2) a distribution pattern with Beijing as its core was established, exhibiting greater ULUE in the northern region and poorer efficiency in the southern region, with significant correlation characteristics in efficiency values between adjacent cities; and (3) capital input, labor input, social welfare, and ecological environment are all influencing factors that promote the improvement in ULUE in the BTH region, and the interaction of any two factors explains the ULUE in this region better than a single factor. The empirical research results can provide useful references for improving the input–output ratio of land units and further spatial planning and policy formulation in the BTH region. Full article

Enhancing regional ecosystem stability and managing land resources effectively requires identifying ecological function zones and understanding the factors that influence them. However, most current studies have primarily focused on ecosystem service bundles, paying less attention to the trade-offs, synergies, and ecological sensitivity, leading to a more uniform approach to functional zoning. This study aimed to analyze and describe the spatial and temporal patterns of four essential ecosystem services, including water yield (WY), net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation (SC), and habitat quality (HQ), in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area over the period from 2005 to 2019. Spatial overlay analysis was used to assess ecological sensitivity, trade-offs, synergies, and ecosystem service bundles to define ecological functional zones. Geographic detectors were then applied to identify the primary drivers of spatial variation in these zones. The findings showed a progressive improvement in ecosystem service functions within the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer zone. Between 2005 and 2019, NPP, soil conservation, and water yield all demonstrated positive trends, while HQ displayed a declining trend. There was significant spatial heterogeneity and distinct regional patterns in ecosystem service functions, with a general decrease from southwest to northeast, particularly in NPP and HQ. Trade-offs were evident in most ecosystem services, with the most significant between WY and HQ and most in the northeast and east regions. Ecological sensitivity decreased from southwest to northeast. Regions with a higher ecological sensitivity were primarily situated in the southwestern region, and their spatial distribution pattern was comparable to that of high habitat quality. The spatial overlay analysis categorized areas into various types, including human production and settlement zones, ecologically vulnerable zones, ecological transition zones, and ecological conservation zones, accounting for 17.28%, 22.30%, 7.41%, and 53.01% of the total area, respectively. The primary environmental factor affecting ecological function zoning was identified as precipitation, while the main social variables were human activity and population density. This study enhances the understanding of ecological functions and supports sustainable development in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological buffer area, offering important guidance for ecological zoning. Full article

Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978, the reclamation and abandonment of cropland in Xinjiang have become significant features of the land use change in the arid land of Northwest China. However, the spatiotemporal changes and driving mechanisms of cropland reclamation and abandonment over long time periods are still unclear, but this is crucial in understanding cropland changes in inland arid land, providing important insights for land management and agricultural development. Based on 40 years of remote sensing data on resources and the environment, this study examines the spatiotemporal characteristics of cropland reclamation and abandonment in Xinjiang over four periods since 1980. Additionally, it uses an optimal parameter geographical detector model to quantify the driving factors for each period. The results indicate that cropland reclamation experiences a “slow decrease–rapid increase” trend, forming a “V-shaped” pattern, while abandonment shows a “rapid decrease–slow decrease–slow increase” trend, forming a “U-shaped” pattern. These trends can be divided into three periods: 1980–1990 (unstable growth), 1990–2010 (stable growth), and 2010–2020 (growth with constraints). The movement pattern of cropland reclamation’s center of gravity is “slightly southeast–slightly northeast–southwest”, whereas the abandonment’s center of gravity shifts “northeast–southwest–northeast”. Further analysis reveals that the impact of agricultural technological investment and infrastructure on cropland reclamation has increased, while the influence of natural environmental factors has decreased. Although climate and water resources remain key factors in cropland abandonment, the influence of economic and social factors has gradually diminished, and the impact of agricultural mechanization has steadily risen. Full article

In the 21st century, the rapid urbanization process has led to increasingly severe urban heat island effects and other urban thermal environment issues, posing significant challenges to urban planning and environmental management. This study focuses on Zhengzhou, China, utilizing Landsat remote sensing imagery data from five key years between 2000 and 2020. By applying atmospheric correction methods, we accurately retrieved the land surface temperature (LST). The study employed a gravity center migration model to track the spatial changes of heat island patches and used the geographical detector method to quantitatively analyze the combined impact of surface characteristics, meteorological conditions, and socio-economic factors on the urban heat island effect. Results show that the LST in Zhengzhou exhibits a fluctuating growth trend, closely related to the expansion of built-up areas and urban planning. High-temperature zones are mainly concentrated in built-up areas, while low-temperature zones are primarily found in areas covered by water bodies and vegetation. Notably, the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are the two most significant factors influencing the spatial distribution of land surface temperature, with explanatory power reaching 42.7% and 41.3%, respectively. As urban development enters a stable stage, government environmental management measures have played a positive role in mitigating the urban heat island effect. This study not only provides a scientific basis for understanding the spatiotemporal changes in land surface temperature in Zhengzhou but also offers new technical support for urban planning and management, helping to alleviate the urban heat island effect and improve the living environment quality for urban residents. Full article