Search Results (186)

Exploring the characteristics and driving factors of carbon storage change in different terrain gradient variations can provide important insights for formulating the agricultural ecological protection policy for regional development. Previous studies have used the fixed value of carbon density to evaluate the change characteristics of carbon storage but ignored the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of carbon storage at the block scale and the impact of policy factors. Thus, this paper takes Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province, China, as a study area, and the spatio-temporal variation of carbon storage at different topographic gradients was revealed using hot and cold spot analysis and zonal statistics. Through the geographic detector and estimation of the soil carbon density model, the driving factors and intensity of carbon storage spatial distribution are revealed from 1990 to 2020. We conducted analyses on aboveground biomass, underground biomass, and soil carbon storage across three elevation levels (0–200 m, 200–500 m, 500–999 m) to reveal the quantitative distribution features of carbon storage. The study analysis finds that carbon storage indicates a sawtooth evolution during the study period. Carbon storage was dominant at elevation I (range is 0–200 m), slope I (range is 0–2°), and relief amplitude I (range is 0–30 m). Additionally, the carbon storage losses were severe at elevation II (range is 200–500 m), slope II (2–6°), and relief amplitude II (30–70 m). In contrast, the carbon storage losses at elevation III (500–999 m), slope III (6–15°), and relief amplitude III (70–186 m) were insignificant. The spatial pattern of carbon storage varies significantly under different topographic gradients from 1990 to 2020. The most critical driving factors influencing the spatial distribution pattern of carbon storage were land use and annual average temperature. Distance to urban centers and soil texture also moderately influence the distribution of carbon storage. As the topographic gradient increases, the dominant factors of carbon storage gradually change from annual mean temperature and the extent of land use to policy factors and other socio-economic factors. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of implementing policies that convert farmland to forests and wetlands and promote the green transformation of agriculture. Full article

The resilient city plays an increasingly important role in coping with the challenges raised by economic, social, and environmental risks. In this review, we examine approximately 27,094 papers published in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) and perform extensive bibliometric and scientometric analyses to identify the research themes, evolutionary history, and potential research trends in the state of the art in resilient city studies. Seven main resilient city research themes are identified, with significant differences persisting across regions. Specifically, the research on resilient cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America reveals clear regional characteristics in macro development planning and strategies, technological methods, urban economic growth, urban water resource protection, and so on. The analysis also reveals the collaborative networks among different countries and regions in the study of resilient cities. The evolutionary history of resilient city research shows that it has gradually evolved from a single research field into a multidisciplinary field and further formed a unique discipline. Moreover, the urban ecological environment, urban economic development, urban sprawl, and urban mobility have become key research hot spots and trends in resilient city research. This study provides a systematic and data-driven analytical demonstration of resilient city research, which provides empirical support for policy formulation and practice. Full article

The development of sports tourism is of great significance in promoting regional cultural exchanges, boosting economic development, accelerating the construction of national fitness, promoting the development of the sports industry, and advancing ecological environmental protection. With the integrated application of exploratory spatial data analysis and gray correlation analysis model, this article takes the Yangtze River Delta region as the research object and comprehensively explores the pattern evolution characteristics and influencing factors of its sports tourism development space. The study found that (1) the total amount of sports tourism resources in the Yangtze River Delta region has accumulated in fluctuation and iteration, and the types are constantly enriched; (2) the spatial pattern of sports tourism resources in the Yangtze River Delta region shows the evolution characteristics of “agglomeration–dispersion–agglomeration” over time; (3) the spatial evolution hot spots of sports tourism resources in the Yangtze River Delta region have experienced the following characteristics “unipolar-multipolar-area-wide-suburban”, and the center of gravity of spatial evolution has experienced the process of east–west linear development and north–south diffusion; and (4) the spatial development of sports tourism in the Yangtze River Delta region has experienced the process of “policy + sports + transportation” drive, “economic + social” drive, economic drive, and total-factor drive in different periods. The results of the study can help optimize the allocation of sports and tourism resources in the Yangtze River Delta region, further realize the in-depth integration and development of sports, culture, and tourism, and enhance the regional economy and public service level. Full article

The expansion of urban areas and unsustainable land use associated with human activities have brought about a decline in habitat quality (HQ), especially in arid regions with fragile ecosystems. A precise prediction of land use and habitat quality changes across different scenarios is crucial for the sustainable maintenance of ecological diversity. In this article, the InVEST model was employed to assess both the quality and degradation levels of habitats in the Turpan–Hami Basin (THB) spanning 1990~2020. Additionally, the InVEST-PLUS coupling model was employed to forecast habitat conditions under three different scenarios in 2050. Specifically, it involved the comparison of land use changes and spatial distribution of HQ across natural development (ND) scenarios, town development (UD) scenarios, and ecological protection (EP) scenarios, along with the analysis of hot spots of HQ spanning 1990~2050. The outcomes revealed the following: (1) The primary land use in the THB was categorized as unused land, alongside notable expansions in cultivated land, grassland, and built-up land. Conversely, there was a considerable decline observed in forests, water bodies, and unused land spanning 1990~2020. (2) The HQ within the THB exhibited evident spatial clustering characteristics. Between 1990 and 2020, areas with low HQ accounted for over 85%, areas with unchanged HQ constituted 88.19%, areas experiencing deteriorated HQ comprised approximately 5.02%, and areas displaying improved HQ encompassed around 6.79%. (3) Through the comparison of HQ for the ND, UD, and EP scenarios in 2050, it was observed that the average HQ under the EP scenario ranked highest, exhibiting the lowest degree of degradation on average. This indicates that the EP scenario is most advantageous for preserving HQ. Conclusively, this research provides valuable viewpoints for making decisions aimed at enhancing HQ in ecologically fragile arid regions. Full article

The hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau represents one of China’s most ecologically vulnerable landscapes, characterized by severe soil erosion, intensive land use, and pronounced disturbances to the structure and functionality of ecosystem services. Taking Zichang City as a case study, this research integrates grid-scale analysis with the InVEST-PLUS model and bivariate spatial autocorrelation techniques to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics and inter-relations of four critical ecosystem services—carbon storage, water yield, biodiversity, and soil retention—under varying land use intensity scenarios from 1990 to 2035. The findings indicate that (1) between 1990 and 2020, land use intensity in Zichang City steadily declined, exhibiting a spatial distribution pattern typified by central-area clustering and gradual peripheral transitions. (2) Across three development scenarios, the spatial distribution of the four ecosystem services aligned with the patterns observed in 2020, with central areas showing pronounced fluctuations, whereas peripheral regions experienced relatively minor changes. Specifically, from 1990 to 2020, the proportion of low-carbon storage areas increased by 2.89%, and high water yield areas expanded by 9.45%, while the shares of low habitat quality and low soil retention areas decreased by 5.59% and 6.25%, respectively. (3) A significant spatial autocorrelation was observed between land use intensity and the four ecosystem services, with widespread cold and hot spots reflecting dynamic spatial clustering patterns. These results offer valuable insights for optimizing land use strategies, improving ecosystem service performance, and advancing ecological conservation and sustainable development initiatives. Full article

Xinjiang is a representative dry area in China characterized by oasis agriculture. In recent decades, the amount of farmland has increased considerably. For the regional objectives of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”, it is essential to investigate the carbon effects induced by large-scale changes in farmland. This research integrates the PLUS and InVEST models to calculate the carbon effects resulting from the spatiotemporal changes in farmland distribution in Xinjiang. It quantitatively assesses the changes in land-use patterns and carbon storage under four scenarios for 2035—natural development (ND), economic development (ED), ecological protection (EP), and farmland protection (FP)—and explores the spatial agglomeration degree of the carbon effect of cultivated land area change. The analysis reveals the following: (1) From 1990 to 2020, the farmland area in Xinjiang showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, resulting in a total increase of 33,328.53 km² over the 30-year period. The newly added farmland primarily came from grassland and unused land. (2) The terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage in Xinjiang showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing, with an increase of 57.49 Tg in 30 years. The centroid of carbon storage was located in the northwestern part of the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, showing an overall southwestward shift. Changes in farmland area contributed to a regional carbon storage increase of 45.03 Tg. The contribution of farmland to carbon storage increased by 3.42%. (3) In 2035, the carbon storage value of different scenarios will increase compared with 2020, and the carbon sink of cultivated land will be the maximum under the cultivated land protection scenario. (4) There is a strong spatial positive correlation between the changes in carbon storage caused by the change in cultivated land area in Xinjiang, and there are more hot spots than cold spots. The carbon storage changes under farmland transformation have the characteristics of “high-high” clustering and “low-low” clustering. Future territorial spatial planning in Xinjiang should comprehensively coordinate ecological protection and farmland conservation measures, improve regional carbon sink capacity, and achieve green and sustainable development. Full article

The Blue Economic Zone of the Shandong Peninsula is located in the transitional zone between land and sea, with a complex ecological environment. The determination of hot and cold spots in various ecosystem services is crucial for the coordinated development of ecosystem services and the optimization of the spatial pattern of the ecological environment. This study, based on natural and socio-economic data, utilizes various ecological models to simulate water yield (provisioning service), carbon sequestration (regulating service), biodiversity (supporting service), and aesthetic and scientific research values (cultural service). Using a multi-criteria decision-making approach, it identifies hot and cold spots of ecosystem services in different development–conservation scenarios. Combining the protection efficiency of different areas, it proposes a spatial pattern promotion scheme. The research indicates significant spatial differences in ecosystem services without clear trade-offs and synergies. Changes in the weights of ecosystem services in 11 scenarios result in significant differences in hot and cold spots. Compared to the neutral scenario (S6), the distribution of hot and cold spots in protection scenarios (S1–S5) is relatively scattered, while in development scenarios (S7–S11), hot spots show an increasing trend of concentration in the southeast, with cold spots scattered in the west and northwest. Four spatial pattern promotion schemes are proposed based on protection efficiency and policy preferences. Promotion areas should focus on ecological restoration and improvement to raise local ecosystem service levels. Protection areas should emphasize maintaining their existing high-level ecosystem services to achieve a synergistic enhancement of various ecosystem services. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid global economic development, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, a pivotal economic hub and environmentally sensitive area in China, faces significant challenges in sustaining its landscape ecosystem. Given the region’s strategic importance and vulnerability to environmental pressures, this study investigated the intricate relationships between landscape ecological risk, urban expansion, and economic growth (EG) in the BTH region. Utilizing the landscape as the focal point, we constructed a decoupling model at the grid scale to explore the decoupling relationship between the landscape ecological risk index (ERI), construction area growth (CAG), and EG. The results showed that (1) distinct stages and regional disparities were observed in the trends of ERI, CAG, and EG within the BTH region. The hot and cold spot patterns for these factors did not align consistently. (2) From 1995 to 2019, the coupling relationship between ERI, CAG, and EG in the BTH region underwent a fluctuating transition, initially moving from an undesirable state to an ideal state, and subsequently reverting to an undesirable state. Although the overall trends in these relationships showed some convergence, there were notable spatial distribution differences. (3) The spatial heterogeneity of the two decoupling relationships in the BTH region was relatively poor. Further analysis revealed that the evolution of these decoupling relationships was closely intertwined with regional policy shifts and adjustments. Full article

Precisely delineating the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of water conservation services function (WCF) holds paramount importance for watershed management. However, the existing assessment techniques exhibit common limitations, such as utilizing only multi-year average values for spatial changes and relying solely on the spatial average values for temporal changes. Moreover, traditional research does not encompass all WCF values at each time step and spatial grid, hindering quantitative analysis of spatial heterogeneity in WCF. This study addresses these limitations by utilizing an improved water balance model based on ecosystem type and soil type (ESM-WBM) and employing the EFAST and Sobol’ method for parameter sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a space–time cube of WCF, constructed using remote-sensing data, is further explored by Emerging Hot Spot Analysis for the expression of WCF spatial heterogeneity. Additionally, this study investigates the impact of two core parameters: neighborhood distance and spatial relationship conceptualization type. The results reveal that (1) the ESM-WBM model demonstrates high sensitivity toward ecosystem types and soil data, facilitating the accurate assessment of the impacts of ecosystem and soil pattern alterations on WCF; (2) the EHSA categorizes WCF into 17 patterns, which in turn allows for adjustments to ecological compensation policies in related areas based on each pattern; and (3) neighborhood distance and the type of spatial relationships conceptualization significantly impacts the results of EHSA. In conclusion, this study offers references for analyzing the spatial heterogeneity of WCF, providing a theoretical foundation for regional water resource management and ecological restoration policies with tailored strategies. Full article

Hydrological Ecosystem Services (HES) are crucial components of environmental sustainability and provide indispensable benefits. The present study identifies critical hot and cold spots areas of HES in the Aglar watershed of the Indian Himalayan Region using six HES descriptors, namely water yield (WYLD), crop yield factor (CYF), sediment yield (SYLD), base flow (LATQ), surface runoff (SURFQ), and total water retention (TWR). The analysis was conducted using weightage-based approaches under two methods: (1) evaluating six HES descriptors individually and (2) grouping them into broad ecosystem service categories. Furthermore, the study assessed pixel-level uncertainties that arose because of the distinctive methods used in the identification of hot and cold spots. The associated synergies and trade-offs among HES descriptors were examined too. From method 1, 0.26% area of the watershed was classified as cold spots and 3.18% as hot spots, whereas method 2 classified 2.42% area as cold spots and 2.36% as hot spots. Pixel-level uncertainties showed that 0.57 km² and 6.86 km² of the watershed were consistently under cold and hot spots, respectively, using method 1, whereas method 2 identified 2.30 km² and 6.97 km² as cold spots and hot spots, respectively. The spatial analysis of hot spots showed consistent patterns in certain parts of the watershed, primarily in the south to southwest region, while cold spots were mainly found on the eastern side. Upon analyzing HES descriptors within broad ecosystem service categories, hot spots were mainly in the southern part, and cold spots were scattered throughout the watershed, especially in agricultural and scrubland areas. The significant synergistic relation between LATQ and WYLD, and sediment retention and WYLD and trade-offs between SURFQ and HES descriptors like WYLD, LATQ, sediment retention, and TWR was attributed to varying factors such as land use and topography impacting the water balance components in the watershed. The findings underscore the critical need for targeted conservation efforts to maintain the ecologically sensitive regions at watershed scale. Full article

A thorough exploration of Ecosystem Services (ESs) and their intricate interactions across time and space is a prerequisite for the sustainable management of multiple ESs. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the ESs of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration (MRYRUA) across multiple spatial and temporal scales, thereby enhancing ecosystem management and informed scientific decision-making. Specifically, this study employed the InVEST model, hot spot analysis, a geographically weighted regression model, and self-organizing feature mapping combined with K-means clustering to systematically quantify the spatiotemporal characteristics, trade-offs, synergies, and ecosystem service clusters of habitat quality (HQ), water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), soil conservation (SC), and landscape aesthetics (LA) at grid and county scales from 2000 to 2020. The results revealed the following: (1) There was significant spatial heterogeneity among various ESs, with an overall spatial pattern exhibiting layered and interwoven variations. (2) Trade-offs predominantly characterized the relationships among ESs in the MRYRUA, with the absolute values of correlation coefficients mostly reaching their nadir in 2010. The interaction strengths between HQ and CS, and between CS and SC, increased with scale, while the relationships and strengths between LA and other ESs were less affected by scale changes. (3) At the grid scale, five types of ecosystem service bundles (ESBs) were identified, whereas at the district scale, four types of ESBs were delineated, including three common types: the WY–LA synergy bundle, Ecological transition bundle, and Key synergetic bundle, and three distinct types: the HQ–CS synergy bundle, Integrated ecological bundle, and Key synergetic bundle. The transitions of these ESBs over the 20 year period generally exhibited fluctuating evolutionary characteristics, with more pronounced fluctuations as the scale expanded. The results improve our comprehension of how ESs are related across various scales and provide theoretical and scientific references for multi-scale sustainable ecosystem zoning management and ecological environment governance. Full article

The Qinba Mountain range is a typical climate-sensitive and ecologically fragile region. Monitoring of vegetation dynamics is crucial for ecological protection and achieving sustainable development goals. Various mutation-detection methods, along with slope analysis, hot-spot analysis, and residual analysis, were used to examine changes in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the growing and non-growing seasons over 41 years and to distinguish the relative effects of the drivers. This revealed four key findings. (1) NDVI increased at 0.02 decade⁻¹, with mutation points in 2006 for growing-season NDVI and 2007 for non-growing-season NDVI. (2) The trend in NDVI changed markedly at the mutation point. After the mutation point, NDVI was impacted more by human activity than by climate change. The hot and cold spots of the NDVI trend rate change in location and range in the growing season; in the non-growing season, it shows an obvious north–south distribution. (3) The spatial patterns in the effects of the drivers changed at this point. In the growing season, before this point, climate change and human activity collectively enhanced NDVI in ca. 81.3% of the region; after the mutation point, this value declined to 59.9% of the area, and human activity became the dominant driver in the area formerly dominated by both factors in combination. In the non-growing season, after the mutation point, the areas where both factors promoted vegetation growth decreased by 12.6% and those where climate change alone promoted it decreased by 11.1%, whereas the area affected only by human activity increased by 11.6%. (4) Before this point, human activity contributed >60% to the change in NDVI in the western Qinling region, with climate change contributing >60% in the other areas. After this point, human activity exerted a stronger influence than climate change, contributing >60% to enhancing vegetation growth and >80% reducing it. These findings provide a scientific basis for protecting the Qinba Mountain ecosystem and are essential for achieving sustainable development goals. Full article

Along with the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, the carrying capacity of territorial space has been confronted with a serious crisis. Faced with many uncertain risks and unknown disruptions, it is important to proactively address the uncertainty of future developments in planning and to improve territorial spatial resilience (TSR). Based on the connotation of TSR, we build an assessment framework for TSR containing urban, agricultural and ecological space from three dimensions, including element, structure and function. Using a variety of methods such as the source-sink landscape index, land suitability assessment, and cropland pressure index, we assessed the TSR of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2020 and comprehensively analysed its spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics. Through data analysis, we observe that the urban spatial resilience (RU) decreases and then increases, while the agricultural spatial resilience (RA) and the ecological spatial resilience (RE) show an increasing trend. The spatial clustering in TSR is apparent, and the distribution of hot and cold spots in RA and RE is reversed in the east–west direction. The changes in TSR are influenced by a combination of RU, RA and RE, which show unique geographical characteristics. Based on the average level and overall evolution of TSR, we divided the study area into five type zones and proposed development strategies for each of them. Full article

With the increasing frequency of various uncertainties and disturbances faced by urban systems, urban resilience is one of the vital components of the sustainability of modern cities. An indicator system is constructed to measure the resilience levels of the Yichang–Jingzhou–Jingmen–Enshi (YJJE) urban agglomeration during 2010–2023 based on four domains—economy, ecology, society, and infrastructure. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal differentiation of resilience in YJJE in conjunction with the entropy weight method, Getis–Ord Gi* model, and robustness testing. Then, the factor contribution model is used to discern key driving elements of urban resilience. Finally, the CA-Markov model is implemented to predict urban resilience in 2030. The results reveal that the values of resilience in YJJE increase at a rate of 3.25%/a and continue to rise, with the differences among cities narrowing over the examined period. Furthermore, the urban resilience exhibits a significant spatially heterogeneity distribution, with Xiling, Wujiagang, Xiaoting, Yidu, Zhijiang, Dianjun, Dangyang, Yuan’an, Yiling, and Duodao being the high-value agglomerations of urban resilience, and Hefeng, Jianli, Shishou, and Wufeng being the low-value agglomerations of urban resilience. The marked heterogeneity of resilience in the YJJE urban agglomeration reflects the disparity in economic progress across the study area. The total amount of urban social retail, financial expenditure per capita, GDP per capita, park green space area, urban disposable income per capita, and number of buses per 10,000 people surface as the key influencing factors in relation to urban resilience. Finally, the levels of resilience among cities within YJJE will reach the medium level or higher than medium level in 2030. Xiling, Wujiagang, Xiaoting, Zhijiang, Dianjun, Dangyang, and Yuan’an will remain significant hot spots of urban resilience, while Jianli will remain a significant cold spot. In a nutshell, this paper can provide scientific references and policy recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers on the aspects of urban resilience and sustainable city. Full article

Increased global climate change and contradictions in human–land relationships has aroused awareness of studies on regional sustainable development. Whether SDGs and their interactions are suitable for analyzing the fine scale of regional differentiation of sustainable development, especially in ecologically sensitive regions, was still in suspense. This study analyzed the inter-annual changes and regional clustering of SDGs and the interactions among SDGs, and among their indicators, at both provincial and municipal levels in Inner Mongolia. We found the sustainable development was relatively higher in the east than in the west. SDG5, SDG6, SDG10, SDG11, and SDG15 got cold spots in the west and hot spots in the east. For most SDGs and indicators, synergies outweigh trade-offs. Improvement measures should focus on the indices with strong synergies such as SDG3 and SDG7, and SOC2, ECO1, ECO4, and ECO5. Special attention should be put on those with trade-offs such as ECO15 and ENV20 to be aware of their opposite effects. SDG5 and ECO2 were the most important in the entire network that need attention. Considering only singular or a few SDGs may not be feasible when assessing sustainable development because other goals or indicators may play roles. Reasonable improvements for sustainable development needed to clarify synergies and trade-offs among SDGs and indicators. Full article