Multi-Scenario Simulation of Future Land Use in the Beijiang River Basin Under Multidimensional Ecological Constraints
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis study is useful to ecological protection, and sustainable development in the Beijiang River Basin. The questions for the manuscript are as follows:
1. The Figure 1 in the manuscript is not clear. I think it needs to be revised.
2. All the data used in this study should be labelled with the website. Such as the Resource and Environment Data Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
3. Please explain the specific meanings of the four scenarios: Natural Development Scenario (NDS), Economic Development Scenario (EDS), Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS), and Comprehensive Development Scenario of Economic Development and Ecological Protection (CDS).
4. The use of numbers in the manuscript is a bit confusing. I think it needs to be changed. Such as the number in Page4, 5, 8, etc. There are several 1., 2. ……
5. In Table 4, why did you select the 20 driving factors in this study to construct the model? Is there any supports?
6. As shown in Table 4, how to combine the data with different temporal and spatial resolution?
7. How are the parameters of the ES-PLUS model optimized? I think any model parameters should be adjusted according to the actual situation.
8. What are the meanings of the numbers in Table 9? Especially the meaning of the units.
9. Page 18: why are the Cropland and forest land declining under Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS)? Please explain the ecology meaning.
10. The discussion section requires an explanation of the existing results. There are so many results in this manuscript, all the conclusions should be refined and discussed. Such as why the results are different in four scenarios: Natural Development Scenario (NDS), Economic Development Scenario (EDS), Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS), and Comprehensive Development Scenario of Economic Development and Ecological Protection (CDS). Is there any ecology meaning?
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 1 Comments
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1. Summary |
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Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions in the re-submitted files.
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2. Questions for General Evaluation |
Reviewer’s Evaluation |
Response and Revisions |
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Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references? |
Can be improved |
We gratefully thank reviewer for your time spend making your constructive remarks and useful suggestions, which has significantly raised the quality. of the manuscript and has enable us to improve the manuscript. Below the comments of the reviewers are response point by point and. The revisions are indicated |
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Is the research design appropriate? |
Can be improved |
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Are the methods adequately described? |
Can be improved |
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Are the results clearly presented? |
Can be improved |
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Are the conclusions supported by the results? |
Can be improved |
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3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors |
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Comments 1: The Figure 1 in the manuscript is not clear. I think it needs to be revised.
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Response 1:
We greatly appreciate your suggestions and feedback. Based on your advice, we have revised Figure 1 to enhance the clarity of the legend. Please refer to the revised manuscript for the specific changes.
Figure 1. Distribution of sub basins in the Beijiang River Basin
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Comments 2: All the data used in this study should be labelled with the website. Such as the Resource and Environment Data Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. |
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Response 2: Thank you very much for your suggestions. We have supplemented the original text in this section. Specifically: "This study mainly utilizes the following datasets, as shown in Table 1: DEM data is sourced from the Geospatial Data Cloud (https://www.gscloud.cn/) (accessed on June 10, 2024). Soil and meteorological data, as well as land use data, were retrieved from the National Geographic Conditions Monitoring Cloud Platform (http://www.resdc.cn/) (accessed on June 12, 2024) and reclassified into six types of land use. Transportation data (highways, railways, etc.) is provided by OpenStreetMap (https://www.openstreetmap.org/) (accessed on June 20, 2024)." Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed modifications.
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Comments 3: Please explain the specific meanings of the four scenarios: Natural Development Scenario (NDS), Economic Development Scenario (EDS), Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS), and Comprehensive Development Scenario of Economic Development and Ecological Protection (CDS) |
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Response 3: Thank you for your question. Below is an explanation of the four development scenarios:
"Natural Development Scenario (NDS) reflects the trajectory of land use changes. This scenario refers to the land use changes that occur naturally without any major policy interventions, following past development trends and human activities.
Economic Development Scenario (EDS) emphasizes growth driven by economic activities, particularly urbanization and infrastructure expansion. The main characteristics include an increase in construction land. Conversely, key land types such as arable land, forests, and grasslands are expected to decrease significantly. This scenario highlights the prioritization of economic growth while overlooking potential environmental costs, as the significant reduction in ecological land types may lead to habitat loss, reduced ecosystem services, and potential long-term ecological degradation.
Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS) focuses on the conservation of natural resources and ecosystems, emphasizing the protection of ecological land. However, there is still a trend of reduction in arable land and forests, indicating ongoing conflicts between development and conservation.
Comprehensive Development Scenario (CDS) seeks to combine economic development with ecological protection, aiming to balance land use. This scenario focuses on creating synergies between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
In summary, these scenarios represent different approaches to land use planning, each with varying impacts on environmental sustainability, economic growth, and natural resource management."
Please refer to the revised manuscript for detailed modifications.
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Comments 4: The use of numbers in the manuscript is a bit confusing. I think it needs to be changed. Such as the number in Page4, 5, 8, etc. There are several 1., 2. …… |
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Response 4: Thank you very much for your insightful suggestions. Based on your advice, we have made the necessary revisions in the original text. Please refer to the revised manuscript for the specific modifications. |
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Comments 5: In Table 4, why did you select the 20 driving factors in this study to construct the model? Is there any supports? |
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Response 5: Thank you for your question. Regarding the specific environment, land use changes in the Beijiang River Basin are the result of multiple factors working together. Natural factors such as annual average temperature and precipitation directly affect land productivity and the ecological environment. Climate conditions have a significant impact on agriculture, forestry, and other land use types, so the average values of these indicators can reflect the long-term climate trends affecting land use changes. Human factors such as GDP and population are socio-economic indicators closely related to land use changes. Economic growth is often accompanied by urban expansion and infrastructure construction, while population growth directly impacts housing demand and land development, increasing the area of construction land. Therefore, considering these factors helps to reveal the driving role of economic and population dynamics on land use. At the same time, the selected driving factors should have good data accessibility, facilitating long-term tracking and analysis. In summary, this paper selects 20 driving factors from both natural and socio-economic dimensions. By calculating the average input of GDP, population, annual temperature, and annual precipitation, we analyze the reasons for land use changes.
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Comments 6: As shown in Table 4, how to combine the data with different temporal and spatial resolution? |
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Response 6: Thank you very much for your suggestion. In this study, we used GIS software to arrange the data from different periods in chronological order and to uniformly adjust the data with different resolutions through processes such as resampling and aggregation. We then combined the data with different spatial and temporal resolutions. |
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Comments 7: How are the parameters of the ES-PLUS model optimized? I think any model parameters should be adjusted according to the actual situation. |
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Response 7: Thank you very much for your question and suggestions. In this study, when optimizing parameters using the ES-PLUS model, we followed these steps and methods: First, we set the weights of ecological constraints and estimated the transition probabilities of different land use types as well as the parameters of various ecological service functions based on field-collected and literature-sourced data. Then, we ran the model with the initial parameters and recorded the output. Using the selected optimization algorithm, we gradually adjusted the parameters and conducted multiple model runs to find the optimal parameter combination. The performance of the model output was measured using appropriate evaluation metrics (e.g., Kappa coefficient, overall accuracy, etc.). Based on the results, we analyzed the impact of different parameters on the model outcomes and made further adjustments to the parameters accordingly. |
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Comments 8: What are the meanings of the numbers in Table 9? Especially the meaning of the units. |
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Response 8: Thank you for your question. We have also provided relevant supplements and explanations in the manuscript. Below is an explanation of the numbers in Table 9:
NDS (km²), EDS (km²), EPS (km²), and CDS (km²) represent the areas (in km²) of arable land, forest land, grassland, water bodies, construction land, and unused land in the Beijiang River Basin under the four development scenarios in 2050.
NDS (%), EDS (%), EPS (%), and CDS (%) represent the changes in the areas of arable land, forest land, grassland, water bodies, construction land, and unused land in the Beijiang River Basin in 2050 compared to 2020.
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Comments 9: Page 18: why are the Cropland and forest land declining under Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS)? Please explain the ecology meaning. |
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Response 9: Thank you for your question. The Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS) emphasizes the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and ecological services. To achieve ecological protection goals, some arable land may be converted into protected areas or ecological restoration zones. This transformation helps restore degraded ecosystems, improve ecological functions and biodiversity, leading to a reduction in arable land area. Additionally, future climate changes may alter the ecological conditions in the Beijiang River Basin, such as increased droughts and floods. These changes could reduce the productivity of arable land and forest land, forcing managers to adopt more resilient land use patterns, thereby reducing the areas of arable land and forest land. In summary, the reduction of arable land and forest land under the future ecological protection scenario results from multiple factors. While they may lead to a decrease in arable and forest areas in the short term, they contribute to more sustainable land management and conservation goals in the long term. |
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Comments 10: The discussion section requires an explanation of the existing results. There are so many results in this manuscript, all the conclusions should be refined and discussed. Such as why the results are different in four scenarios: Natural Development Scenario (NDS), Economic Development Scenario (EDS), Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS), and Comprehensive Development Scenario of Economic Development and Ecological Protection (CDS). Is there any ecology meaning? |
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Response 10: Thank you very much for your comments. I have revised the new content in the discussion section, “4.1 Evaluating Land Use Scenarios and Their Ecological Implications in the Beijiang River Basin”. The following presents a refined and concise conclusion . “This study systematically investigates the land use conditions in the Beijiang River Basin from 1980 to 2020, focusing on the spatiotemporal changes and their underlying driving factors. The ES-PLUS model was developed to simulate four potential land use scenarios for 2050, incorporating ecological constraints and multi-scenario coupling restrictions. Key findings reveal that over 95% of the land use structure comprises for-ests, cultivated land, and grasslands, with a continuing decline in cultivated land and grasslands alongside an increase in water bodies and urban development. Notably, undeveloped land exhibits the highest dynamics at 5.67%. Multidimensional ecological constraints were formulated using loop theory and four ecosystem services: habitat quality, water conservation, carbon storage, and soil conservation. The ES-PLUS model demonstrates high efficacy, achieving a kappa coefficient of 0.93 and an overall accu-racy of 0.96 in simulating future land use changes. By 2050, land use changes in the Beijiang River Basin are projected to remain stable; however, significant variations are anticipated across different scenarios. The model effectively mitigates adverse impacts of regional development and optimizes urban expansion and ecological security frameworks. This adaptability not only facilitates the coordinated development of economic and ecological objectives but also provides a robust scientific foundation for formulating sustainable land management strategies.” |
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe topic of your manuscript, " Multi scenario simulation of future land use in the Beijiang River Basin under multidimensional ecological constraints” may present interesting knowledge for the field. The paper is well-written; however, we have the following comments and questions for consideration:
1. The abstract appears too lengthy, so sentences related to "accuracy" should be omitted.
2. On page 2, the introduction does not adequately present the core background of the challenge within the study area. It focuses more on the methodology. It would be important to highlight why this study is necessary, what has already been done, and what is still needed.
3. For the data source, it is recommended to present the information in table form, including details such as the acquisition date, cloud cover percentage, collection date, and other relevant factors.
4. Table 4 should be moved to the data source section for clarity and better organization of the information.
5. In Figure 2, the concepts, such as natural development scenarios, need to be clearly defined and explained in this paper for better understanding.
6. Globally, the results section needs to be summarized more concisely, as it currently appears overly lengthy and includes excessive details that could be presented more succinctly to enhance clarity and readability.
7. In Figure 8, could you clarify the difference between "actual land use 2020" and "simulated land use in 2020"? A detailed explanation is needed to distinguish between the real observed data and the modeled predictions for the same year.
8. Additionally, Kappa is a crucial component of the data processing. Therefore, we recommend summarizing these results in the data processing section to ensure clarity and highlight its significance in the analysis.
9. In Figure 9, please clearly indicate the different scenarios in each legend for better understanding.
10. In the discussion, the results are not sufficiently analyzed, particularly in Section 4.1. It is recommended to compare your findings with those of previous studies, exploring their results and providing explanations for any differences or improvements in your own results. This will help contextualize your findings and highlight their significance.
11. Please provide a concise summary of the conclusion section, ensuring it is at least 300 words in length, to effectively capture the key findings and implications of the study.
12. It is recommended to add a section before “4.3, Limitations”, to briefly explore the key policy implications of this study.
What is the innovation of the study?
13. English is not so smooth, and please improve it.
14. The plagiarism rate is too high (38%); please review and reduce it accordingly.
Kindly provide the line numbers in the paper for better reference.
We hope these comments help.
Best regards
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 1 Comments
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1. Summary |
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Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions in the re-submitted files.
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2. Questions for General Evaluation |
Reviewer’s Evaluation |
Response and Revisions |
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Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references? |
Can be improved |
We gratefully thank reviewer for your time spend making your constructive remarks and useful suggestions, which has significantly raised the quality. of the manuscript and has enable us to improve the manuscript. Below the comments of the reviewers are response point by point and. The revisions are indicated |
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Is the research design appropriate? |
Can be improved |
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Are the methods adequately described? |
Must be improved |
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Are the results clearly presented? |
Must be improved |
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Are the conclusions supported by the results? |
Can be improved |
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3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors |
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Comments 1: The abstract appears too lengthy, so sentences related to "accuracy" should be omitted. |
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Response 1: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. Based on your suggestion, I've revised the abstract. |
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Comments 2: On page 2, the introduction does not adequately present the core background of the challenge within the study area. It focuses more on the methodology. It would be important to highlight why this study is necessary, what has already been done, and what is still needed |
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Response 2: Thank you very much for your suggestions. We have revised the introduction and added the research background and necessity, such as "The Beijiang River Basin is an important economic and ecological region in Guangdong Province, facing multiple pressures from rapid urbanization, agricultural expansion, and climate change. These factors have led to significant changes in land use, which in turn affect the health and stability of the ecosystem. With the acceleration of population growth and economic development, how to use land rationally and protect the ecological environment has become an urgent issue. Land use changes not only affect biodiversity but may also lead to a series of environmental problems, such as water resource shortages and soil degradation. Existing studies mainly focus on the analysis of the current land use status in the Beijiang River Basin, including the distribution and change trends of cultivated land, forest land, grassland, and construction land, while there is relatively little research on future land use changes and influencing factors in the basin." Please refer to the revised manuscript for specific changes.
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Comments 3: For the data source, it is recommended to present the information in table form, including details such as the acquisition date, cloud cover percentage, collection date, and other relevant factors. |
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Response 3: Thank you very much for your suggestions. We have displayed the detailed information of the data sources in the revised manuscript in the form of tables. Please refer to the revised manuscript for specific changes.
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Comments 4: Table 4 should be moved to the data source section for clarity and better organization of the information. |
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Comments 5: In Figure 2, the concepts, such as natural development scenarios, need to be clearly defined and explained in this paper for better understanding |
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Response 5: We sincerely value your feedback. The four development scenarios have been supplemented in Chapter 2.3.4, which defines and explains them for better understanding. "Natural Development Scenario (NDS) reflects the trajectory of land use changes. This scenario refers to the land use changes that occur naturally without any major policy interventions, following past development trends and human activities.
Economic Development Scenario (EDS) emphasizes growth driven by economic activities, particularly urbanization and infrastructure expansion. The main characteristics include an increase in construction land. Conversely, key land types such as arable land, forests, and grasslands are expected to decrease significantly. This scenario highlights the prioritization of economic growth while overlooking potential environmental costs, as the significant reduction in ecological land types may lead to habitat loss, reduced ecosystem services, and potential long-term ecological degradation.
Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS) focuses on the conservation of natural resources and ecosystems, emphasizing the protection of ecological land. However, there is still a trend of reduction in arable land and forests, indicating ongoing conflicts between development and conservation.
Comprehensive Development Scenario (CDS) seeks to combine economic development with ecological protection, aiming to balance land use. This scenario focuses on creating synergies between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
In summary, these scenarios represent different approaches to land use planning, each with varying impacts on environmental sustainability, economic growth, and natural resource management." |
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Comments 6: Globally, the results section needs to be summarized more concisely, as it currently appears overly lengthy and includes excessive details that could be presented more succinctly to enhance clarity and readability. |
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Response 6: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. The conclusion section has been summarized more concisely. 5. Conclusions ”This study systematically investigates the land use conditions in the Beijiang River Basin from 1980 to 2020, focusing on the spatiotemporal changes and their underlying driving factors. The ES-PLUS model was developed to simulate four potential land use scenarios for 2050, incorporating ecological constraints and multi-scenario coupling restrictions. Key findings reveal that over 95% of the land use structure comprises for-ests, cultivated land, and grasslands, with a continuing decline in cultivated land and grasslands alongside an increase in water bodies and urban development. Notably, undeveloped land exhibits the highest dynamics at 5.67%. Multidimensional ecological constraints were formulated using loop theory and four ecosystem services: habitat quality, water conservation, carbon storage, and soil conservation. The ES-PLUS model demonstrates high efficacy, achieving a kappa coefficient of 0.93 and an overall accu-racy of 0.96 in simulating future land use changes. By 2050, land use changes in the Beijiang River Basin are projected to remain stable; however, significant variations are anticipated across different scenarios. The model effectively mitigates adverse impacts of regional development and optimizes urban expansion and ecological security frameworks. This adaptability not only facilitates the coordinated development of economic and ecological objectives but also provides a robust scientific foundation for formulating sustainable land management strategies”. |
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Comments 7: In Figure 8, could you clarify the difference between "actual land use 2020" and "simulated land use in 2020"? A detailed explanation is needed to distinguish between the real observed data and the modeled predictions for the same year. |
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Response 7: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. In response to your advice, As shown in Figure 8, the spatial distribution of simulated land use in 2020 is basically consistent with the actual land use. At the same time, the ES-PLUS model accuracy verification module calculated that the overall accuracy of the model reached 0.96, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.93, indicating a high degree of consistency between the simulation results and the actual data. Specifically, Kappa coefficient is a commonly used statistic to measure the accuracy of classification model predictions; It considers the influence of random opportunities, thus more comprehensively reflecting the accuracy of the model. This accuracy verification shows that the simulation results are very consistent with the actual situation, which not only improves the reliability of the model, but also provides a solid foundation for future land use prediction. |
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Comments 8: Additionally, Kappa is a crucial component of the data processing. Therefore, we recommend summarizing these results in the data processing section to ensure clarity and highlight its significance in the analysis. |
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Response 8: Thank you very much for your suggestion. The Kappa coefficient is an effective technique for modeling temporal shifts and change directions in raster datasets. Its value ranges from 0 to 1. It is commonly used to check the accuracy of image classification. This coefficient reflects the accuracy of future land use spatial modeling. In this study, the ES-PLUS model accuracy validation module was used to calculate the overall accuracy of the model, which reached 0.96, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.93, indicating a high consistency between the simulation results and actual data, and the calculation results are relatively reliable. |
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Comments 9: In Figure 9, please clearly indicate the different scenarios in each legend for better understanding. |
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Figure 9 Comparison of land use modelling results under different scenarios for the Beijiang Basin in 2050 |
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Comments 10: In the discussion, the results are not sufficiently analyzed, particularly in Section 4.1. It is recommended to compare your findings with those of previous studies, exploring their results and providing explanations for any differences or improvements in your own results. This will help contextualize your findings and highlight their significance. |
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Response 10: Thank you very much for your comments. I have revised the new content in the discussion section, “4.1 Evaluating Land Use Scenarios and Their Ecological Implications in the Beijiang River Basin”. Current research mainly focuses on the analysis of land use status in the Beijiang River Basin, including the distribution and changing trends of cultivated land, forest land, and grassland. However, there are relatively few simulation studies on future land use change scenarios in the watershed. Li Jianqing et al. collected land use data from the Beijiang River Basin in 2000 and 2015, and based on the land use situation in 2000, assumed two extreme land use scenarios of agricultural land being replaced by construction land and agricultural land being replaced by forests, without considering the impact of natural and economic development on land use change. They studied the effects of different land uses on hydrological processes. |
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Comments 11: Please provide a concise summary of the conclusion section, ensuring it is at least 300 words in length, to effectively capture the key findings and implications of the study. |
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Response 11: Thank you very much for your comments. The conclusion section has been re refined and summarized. 5. Conclusions This study systematically investigates the land use conditions in the Beijiang River Basin from 1980 to 2020, focusing on the spatiotemporal changes and their underlying driving factors. The ES-PLUS model was developed to simulate four potential land use scenarios for 2050, incorporating ecological constraints and multi-scenario coupling restrictions. Key findings reveal that over 95% of the land use structure comprises for-ests, cultivated land, and grasslands, with a continuing decline in cultivated land and grasslands alongside an increase in water bodies and urban development. Notably, undeveloped land exhibits the highest dynamics at 5.67%. Multidimensional ecological constraints were formulated using loop theory and four ecosystem services: habitat quality, water conservation, carbon storage, and soil conservation. The ES-PLUS model demonstrates high efficacy, achieving a kappa coefficient of 0.93 and an overall accu-racy of 0.96 in simulating future land use changes. By 2050, land use changes in the Beijiang River Basin are projected to remain stable; however, significant variations are anticipated across different scenarios. The model effectively mitigates adverse impacts of regional development and optimizes urban expansion and ecological security frameworks. This adaptability not only facilitates the coordinated development of economic and ecological objectives but also provides a robust scientific foundation for formulating sustainable land management strategies. |
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Comments 12: It is recommended to add a section before “4.3, Limitations”, to briefly explore the key policy implications of this study. |
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Response 12: Thank you very much for your comments. A new chapter 4.3 has been added to briefly explore the policy implications of key aspects of this study. 4.3 Key policy implications for sustainable land use and ecological protection in the Beijiang River Basin To effectively implement ecological constraint policies such as riparian corridors and ecological sources at the policy level for the rational planning of watershed land resources, several strategies can be adopted. First, it is essential to establish a compre-hensive policy framework that encompasses ecological protection, land use, and eco-nomic development. This framework should clearly define the objectives and strategies for riparian corridors and ecological sources, taking into account the needs of various stakeholders to ensure a harmonious balance between ecological conservation and economic growth. Second, in the planning and construction of ecological corridors, remote sensing technology and GIS analysis should be utilized to identify critical eco-logical areas and biodiversity hotspots within the watershed. This identification will help determine the optimal locations for ecological corridors. Based on ecological func-tions and species migration requirements, a network of ecological corridors should be designed to ensure connectivity among different ecosystems, facilitating the normal functioning of ecological processes. Additionally, assessing the ecological sources within the watershed—such as key water sources, wetlands, and other significant eco-logical areas—will allow for the formulation of protection and restoration measures. Relevant protective policies, including restrictions on development activities and the implementation of ecological restoration projects, should be enacted to enhance the functionality and stability of these ecological sources. In future land use planning for the Beijiang River Basin, ecological constraints must be integrated to limit construction and development activities in ecologically sensitive areas while prioritizing the pro-tection of riparian corridors and ecological sources. Encouraging multi-functional land use practices, such as ecological agriculture and sustainable tourism, can help balance economic development with ecological conservation. Simultaneously, public aware-ness should be raised through outreach and educational initiatives to enhance under-standing of the importance of riparian corridors and ecological sources. Community involvement in ecological protection efforts should be encouraged, and mechanisms for stakeholder participation established to ensure that local governments, communities, NGOs, and businesses actively engage in policy formulation and implementation. By adopting these measures, it is possible to effectively enforce ecological constraint policies related to riparian corridors and ecological sources, thereby achieving rational planning and sustainable management of watershed land resources. |
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Comments 13: What is the innovation of the study? |
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Response 13: Thank you very much for your comments. The innovation of this study lies in proposing a land use change simulation model with ecological constraints (the ES-PLUS model) from the perspective of watershed ecological protection, which is applied to the analysis and evaluation of watershed ecological patterns. Typically, land use change simulation models considering ecological constraints are used for urban or small-scale land use change analysis. However, watersheds encompass more spatial patterns and ecological functions, making them more complex. This study establishes such a model by integrating ecosystem service evaluation, Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), and circuit theory to construct ecological constraints (ES). Three different levels of ecological constraints are generated based on varying cumulative resistance thresholds. By comprehensively evaluating the services provided by ecosystems, key ecological functional areas are identified. Four different land use scenarios are formed by combining different ecological constraints with corresponding simulation scenarios. By simulating land use changes under different scenarios, the study evaluates the impact of various development scenarios on the ecological environment of the Beijiang River Basin. Through the innovative ES-PLUS model, this study not only provides a new perspective and method for studying land use changes in the Beijiang River Basin but also emphasizes the importance of ecological constraints in land management. The findings of this study contribute to promoting sustainable development of watersheds, effectively combining ecological protection with economic development, and have significant scientific and practical value. |
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1. English is not so smooth, and please improve it. 2. The plagiarism rate is too high (38%); please review and reduce it accordingly. |
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Thank you for your detailed suggestions. I have made revisions to the English expression of the manuscript to improve its language quality and fluency. In addition, I have also reduced the plagiarism rate of the manuscript to below 20%. These efforts aim to ensure that research results can be better conveyed to readers and contribute to academic discussions in related fields. I look forward to your further feedback in order to make final adjustments and improvements.
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript has a solid methodological basis, which allows for robust results. Therefore, it is recommended that it be accepted in its current version.
However, the authors should incorporate some suggestions in the document related to climate change factors such as temperature and precipitation in future models. To improve the model's applicability, they should include more detailed socioeconomic scenarios in future research and implement a sensitivity analysis to reduce the risk of bias derived from the model's weighting factors.
Author Response
Thank you to the reviewer for their valuable suggestions on our research. We fully agree that future models should consider climate change factors such as temperature and precipitation to enhance their applicability and accuracy. The impact of climate change on land use patterns is significant, so in future research, we will strive to integrate these important climate variables to more comprehensively reflect the impact of environmental change on land use. In addition, we also recognize that incorporating more detailed socio-economic scenarios will help improve the predictive ability of the model. We plan to conduct sensitivity analysis in future research to evaluate the impact of changes in model weighting factors on the results under different scenarios. This will help reduce potential bias risks and ensure the reliability of model results. Thank you again for the reviewer's suggestions. We look forward to further improving our research in future work.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsAuthors have addressed my concern from previous manuscript. I do not have more comments on the revision.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer, Thank you for your feedback and for taking the time to review the revised manuscript. Your support is greatly appreciated.If you have any additional insights in the future, please feel free to reach out.Thank you once again for your valuable input. Best regardsReviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsDear Authors, Thank you for your efforts. Unfortunately, the paper still requires significant improvement
Please address these comments by indicating the changes directly in the paper. For example, for Comment 2, state: This has been corrected; please see lines 10 to 15 in the manuscript.
Comments 2: On page 2, the introduction does not adequately present the core background of the
challenge within the study area. It focuses more on the methodology. It would be important to highlight why this study is necessary, what has already been done, and what is still needed
Comments 5: In Figure 2, the concepts, such as natural development scenarios, need to be clearly
defined and explained in this paper for better understanding
Comments 6: Globally, the results section needs to be summarized more concisely, as it currently
appears overly lengthy and includes excessive details that could be presented more succinctly to enhance clarity and readability.
Comments 7: In Figure 8, could you clarify the difference between "actual land use 2020" and
"Simulated land use in 2020"? A detailed explanation is needed to distinguish between
the real observed data and the modeled predictions for the same year.
Comments 9: In Figure 9, please clearly indicate the different scenarios in each legend for better
understanding.
Comments 13: What is the innovation of the study?
Comments 14. English is not so smooth, and please improve it.
The methodology section is overly long and unclear, requiring significant summarization and improvement. For instance, reconsider the necessity of the Kappa equation. The methods span over 10 pages; streamline the content and clarify section 2.3.2 for better focus.
Best regards.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 2 Comments
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1. Summary |
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Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript. Please find the detailed responses below and the corresponding revisions in the re-submitted files.
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2. Questions for General Evaluation |
Reviewer’s Evaluation |
Response and Revisions |
Does the introduction provide sufficient background and include all relevant references? |
Can be improved |
We gratefully thank reviewer for your time spend making your constructive remarks and useful suggestions, which has significantly raised the quality. of the manuscript and has enable us to improve the manuscript. Below the comments of the reviewers are response point by point and. The revisions are indicated |
Is the research design appropriate? |
Must be improved |
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Are the methods adequately described? |
Must be improved |
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Are the results clearly presented? |
Can be improved |
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Are the conclusions supported by the results? |
Can be improved |
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3. Point-by-point response to Comments and Suggestions for Authors |
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Comments 2: On page 2, the introduction does not adequately present the core background of the challenge within the study area. It focuses more on the methodology. It would be important to highlight why this study is necessary, what has already been done, and what is still needed |
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Response 2: Thank you very much for your suggestions. We have revised the introduction and added the research background and necessity, This has been corrected; Please refer to lines 13-54 on page 3 and lines 1-6 on page 4 of the manuscript. |
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Comments 5: In Figure 2, the concepts, such as natural development scenarios, need to be clearly defined and explained in this paper for better understanding |
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Response 5: We sincerely value your feedback. The manuscript added four development scenarios, defined and explained them for better understanding, Please refer to page 7, lines 12 to 30 of the manuscript. |
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Comments 6: Globally, the results section needs to be summarized more concisely, as it currently appears overly lengthy and includes excessive details that could be presented more succinctly to enhance clarity and readability. |
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Response 6: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. The result section has been summarized more concisely. Please refer to lines 48 on page 13 to 23 on page 21 in the manuscript. |
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Comments 7: In Figure 8, could you clarify the difference between "actual land use 2020" and "simulated land use in 2020"? A detailed explanation is needed to distinguish between the real observed data and the modeled predictions for the same year. |
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Response 7: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. In response to your advice, Please refer to lines 12 on page 18 to 6 on page 19 of the manuscript. |
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Comments 9: In Figure 9, please clearly indicate the different scenarios in each legend for better understanding. |
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Response 9: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. In Figure 9, the different scenarios (NDS, EDS, EPS, CDS) in each legend have been marked, as shown on page 20 of the manuscript. The analysis of the results for different scenarios (NDS, EDS, EPS, CDS) in each legend can be found from line 3 on page 20 to line 23 on page 21. |
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Comments 13: What is the innovation of the study? |
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Response 13: Thank you very much for your comments. The innovation of this study can be found on page 23, lines 28 to 47 of the manuscript. |
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Comments 14. English is not so smooth, and please improve it. The methodology section is overly long and unclear, requiring significant summarization and improvement. For instance, reconsider the necessity of the Kappa equation. The methods span over 10 pages; streamline the content and clarify section 2.3.2 for better focus. |
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Thank you for your detailed suggestion. I made efforts to revise the English expression of the manuscript to improve its language quality and fluency. We have summarized and improved the methodology section of the manuscript. These methods have been shortened to 8 pages for better understanding. In addition. These efforts aim to ensure that research results can be better conveyed to readers and contribute to academic discussions in related fields. I look forward to your further feedback in order to make final adjustments and improvements.
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 3
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsComments 2: Is the section between lines 13 to 54 written without any research? Please improve this section by referencing the previous study.
Comment 6. The results and method sections need to be summarized more concisely.
Other. Please enhance the first section of the discussion section. Compared to the previous studies and highlighted why you get better or different.
Improve the English writing.
Best regards
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe English could be improved to more clearly express the research.
Author Response
Comments 2: Is the section between lines 13 to 54 written without any research? Please improve this section by referencing the previous study. |
Response 2: Thank you very much for your suggestions. The previous related research work has been supplemented, and the revised results can be seen from lines 11 to 49 on the third page of the manuscript. |
Comment 6. The results and method sections need to be summarized more concisely. Other. Please enhance the first section of the discussion section. Compared to the previous studies and highlighted why you get better or different. Improve the English writing. |
Response 6: We greatly appreciate your insightful suggestions. The first part of the discussion has been revised. From line 34 on page 19 to line 28 on page 20 in the manuscript The results and methods section needs to be summarized more concisely. The methodology section has been summarized again, as shown on page 5, line 1 to page 11, line 32 of the manuscript. At the same time, adjustments have been made to the results section, as shown on page 14, line 4 to line 20, and page 15, line 17 to page 16, line 5 of the manuscript. I made efforts to revise the English expression of the manuscript to improve its language quality and fluency. Thank you for your feedback and review of my paper. This is my first SCI paper, and I apologize for any shortcomings. In the future, I will continuously improve my writing skills based on your guidance. Thank you again for your guidance, and I wish you a happy and joyful Christmas in advance. |
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf