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Evaluation of urban expansion and the impacts on vegetation in Chinese Loess Plateau: a multi-scale study

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Abstract

Vegetation degradation caused by rapid urban expansion is a pressing global challenge. Focusing on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), we use satellite observations from 2000 to 2017 to evaluate the spatiotemporal pattern of urban expansion, and its imprint on vegetation across old urban, new urban, urban, non-urban areas as well as the entire urbanization intensity (UI) gradient (from 0 to 100%). We found a massive increase of urban impervious surface area (UISA) in the CLP from 2000 to 2017, and an uneven expansion of UISA at different urban agglomerations and cities. Less green were found in urban and new urban areas, while old urban and non-urban areas generally showed an improved greening pattern. In addition, the annual maximum EVI (EVImax) differences between urban and non-urban areas were − 0.0995 on average from 2000 to 2017. The Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration (GPUA) witnessed the most significant EVImax differences (− 0.120), and the Ningxia Yanhuang urban agglomeration (NYUA) witnessed the lowest EVImax differences (− 0.012). The EVImax showed significantly decreased trends along the entire spectrum of urbanization gradient for 97.4% (38 of 39) cities and five urban agglomerations. The most significant decrease was found in the GUPA (slope =  − 0.0197/10a, p < 0.01), while the smallest drop was found in the NYUA (slope =  − 0.011/10a, p < 0.01). This study offered a fundamental support for understanding the vegetation variation along the urban–rural gradient, which may help stakeholders to make better ecological management policies for urban vegetation in ecologically fragile areas.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

CLP:

Chinese Loess Plateau

EVI:

Enhanced vegetation index

EVImax :

Annual maximum EVI

FROM-GLC:

Finer Resolution Observation and Monitoring-Global Land Cover

GDP:

Gross domestic product

GPP:

Gross primary production

GPUA:

Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration

GR:

Growth rate

HEUA:

Hubao EYu urban agglomeration

JZUA:

Jinzhong urban agglomeration

LXUA:

Lanxi urban agglomeration

MODIS:

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

MVC:

Maximum value composite

NDVI:

Normalized difference vegetation index

NPP:

Net primary production

NTL:

Nighttime light

NYUA:

Ningxia Yanhuang urban agglomeration

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Funding

The work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42171212, 41877523) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (No. D2022402030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Mining and Geomatics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China

    Anzhou Zhao

  2. College of Applied Arts and Science, Beijing Union University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Xiaoqian Liu

  3. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Beijing, China

    Zhoutao Zheng

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  1. Anzhou Zhao
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  2. Xiaoqian Liu
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  3. Zhoutao Zheng
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Contributions

Anzhou Zhao proposed a newly idea about the exploration of the evolution of urbanization and ecological environment quality and their coupling coordination relationship. Xiaoqian Liu designed the experiments and carried them out. Zhoutao Zheng reviewed and edited this manuscript and helped with the collections of the data. Anzhou Zhao prepared the manuscript with contributions from all co-authors.

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Zhao, A., Liu, X. & Zheng, Z. Evaluation of urban expansion and the impacts on vegetation in Chinese Loess Plateau: a multi-scale study. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 6021–6032 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22633-5

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