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Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use...
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Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Use, Impact Assessment and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 8565

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Priyakant Sinha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Interests: high-level multidisciplinary and collaborative research in optical remote sensing and GIS in crop assessment; time-series crop monitoring and yield predictions; crop spatio-temporal nutrient and water management; pasture biomass; vegetation species mapping and change detection; agriculture environmental monitoring and assessment; land use change and prediction modelling; landscape characterization; UAV/Photogrammetry and LiDAR-based 3D image analysis; hyperspectral and GIS modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The assessment of spatial and temporal landscape patterns under land use change involves the analysis and evaluation of how the arrangement and composition of different land cover types within a geographic area alter over time due to human activities and natural processes. This Special Issue aims to understand how land use changes impact the distribution, connectivity, and diversity of landscapes, which in turn can have ecological, social, and economic implications. This understanding is crucial for making informed decisions that balance development and conservation, while minimizing the negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.

The topics are summarised below:

Spatial Landscape Patterns: refers to the arrangement and distribution of different land cover types (such as forests, urban areas, croplands, water bodies, etc.) within a landscape. Spatial patterns are characterized by various metrics, such as the size, shape, and the configuration of patches of different land covers. These patterns can have significant ecological effects, influencing factors such as habitat fragmentation, species movement, and ecosystem services.

Temporal Landscape Patterns: focuses on how landscape patterns alter over time due to factors such as human activities (urbanization, deforestation, agriculture expansion) and natural processes (succession, climate change). Temporal patterns might involve tracking changes in the size, shape, and location of land cover patches, as well as shifts in the overall composition of the landscape.

Land Use Change: refers to alterations in how land is used by humans, such as converting forests into agricultural fields, turning natural areas into urban areas, or restoring abandoned industrial sites into green spaces. These changes can be driven by factors such as population growth, economic development, policy decisions, and environmental considerations.

Assessment Methods: a range of methods and tools are employed to assess spatial and temporal landscape patterns under land use change. Remote sensing technologies, such as satellite imagery and aerial photography, play a crucial role in monitoring and quantifying these changes. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and software help to analyse spatial data and calculate metrics such as patch density, landscape fragmentation, and diversity indices. Additionally, statistical modelling and spatial analysis techniques can be employed to understand the relationships between land use changes and landscape patterns.

Implications and Applications: Assessing these patterns can have far-reaching implications. Ecologically, it helps us understand how habitat fragmentation affects biodiversity and ecosystem function. Economically, it informs land planning and resource management decisions. Socially, it can identify areas susceptible to urban sprawl or habitat loss, facilitating targeted conservation efforts. The information gained from assessing landscape patterns can guide policies and actions that promote sustainable land use practices.

Dr. Priyakant Sinha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 17551 KiB  
Article
A Multiscale Approach to Identifying Vernacular Landscape Pattern Characteristics in River Basins: A Case Study of the Liuxi River, Guangzhou
by Nanxi Wang, Yan Zha and Zhongxiao Lin
Land 2025, 14(5), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14050964 (registering DOI) - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 87
Abstract
In recent years, rapid urbanization has transformed the man–land relationship in rural areas, highlighting issues such as the homogenization of vernacular landscapes. This study uses the Liuxi River in Guangzhou as a case and applies a hierarchical interpretation system for vernacular landscapes, utilizing [...] Read more.
In recent years, rapid urbanization has transformed the man–land relationship in rural areas, highlighting issues such as the homogenization of vernacular landscapes. This study uses the Liuxi River in Guangzhou as a case and applies a hierarchical interpretation system for vernacular landscapes, utilizing methods from landscape character assessment (LCA) and Historic Landscape Characterization (HLC). Focusing on two scales, “basin” and “vernacular unit”, this study proposes a framework for identifying vernacular landscape patterns. This framework includes scale definition, pattern identification, feature description, and factor analysis. At the basin scale, the investigation concentrates on spatial configurations of vernacular landscapes in 1985, whereas the unit-scale analysis delineates temporal evolutionary trajectories spanning 1974–2020. The results indicate significant differences in landscape fragmentation, dominance, and diversity between upstream and downstream at the basin scale. At the unit scale, the landscape connectivity in the Shaxi River unit remains relatively stable, while landscape heterogeneity increases, resulting in greater diversity. This study provides valuable insights into the continuity and development of diversity in analogous vernacular landscape regions globally, particularly those comparable to the Liuxi River basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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17 pages, 6736 KiB  
Article
Construction and Optimization of Ecological Network in Kuqa, China
by Halimulati Abulaiti, Aynur Mamat and Maimaiti Mijiti
Land 2025, 14(2), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020323 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 481
Abstract
The ability to achieve coordinated progress towards ecological protection has become an important ecological network, is the basic guarantee, and an important way to achieve regional and urban ecological security. This study takes Kuqa City as the research area, using the Morphological Spatial [...] Read more.
The ability to achieve coordinated progress towards ecological protection has become an important ecological network, is the basic guarantee, and an important way to achieve regional and urban ecological security. This study takes Kuqa City as the research area, using the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) method and the landscape connectivity index to extract the ecological source area. After establishing the comprehensive resistance surface, the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model is used to identify the ecological corridor, and the source area and the corridor are combined to construct the ecological network of the study area. The analysis results show that the area of cropland continued to rise in 2020, and the area of woodland and grassland decreased; the overall analysis of the ecological security pattern yielded good results, and the main influencing factors were terrain and altitude. We extracted eight ecological source areas, and the distribution structure of the source sites formed two large source site communities in the north and south, with a clear break in the middle. After establishing a comprehensive resistance surface, 28 general corridors were identified using the MCR model. Corridors are more scarce in the western part of the study area, so seven important corridors have been identified according to the gravity model, and four new sources have been added to expand the ecological network coverage area, which can solve the fault phenomenon between the southwest and middle east. Constructing a reasonable ecological network can significantly improve the landscape connectivity of the entire study area, which is conducive to promoting the construction of ecological civilization in Kuqa City, and is of great significance to sustainable development and the protection of the ecological environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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25 pages, 40782 KiB  
Article
Landscape Pattern Changes and Ecological Vulnerability Assessment in Mountainous Regions: A Multi-Scale Analysis of Heishui County, Southwest China
by Weiqi Gu, Hong Fu and Wen Jin
Land 2025, 14(2), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020314 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 654
Abstract
Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change, the impact of land use pattern changes on ecosystem vulnerability has garnered increasing attention. However, systematic studies concerning the ecological vulnerability of mountainous regions remains inadequate, with relevant policies primarily remaining at the macro-regulation level [...] Read more.
Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change, the impact of land use pattern changes on ecosystem vulnerability has garnered increasing attention. However, systematic studies concerning the ecological vulnerability of mountainous regions remains inadequate, with relevant policies primarily remaining at the macro-regulation level and lacking specific guidance measures. Taking Heishui County in southwest China as a case study, this research innovatively combines landscape pattern with the sensitivity–pressure–resilience (SPR) model to systematically analyze land use spatiotemporal evolution characteristics, ecological vulnerability and spatial differentiation patterns, and their driving mechanisms across multiple scales, including county, township, and land use types. The findings reveal that the region’s ecological vulnerability exhibits a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the southeast and low in the northwest”, with a radiating decrease from the centers of Longba and Weigu towns. The high degree of farmland landscape fragmentation is identified as a crucial factor contributing to its heightened ecological vulnerability. Geological disasters, human activities, meteorological conditions, and topographical features are the primary driving factors affecting ecological vulnerability intensity. Furthermore, land use pattern changes, characterized by landscape patch fragmentation, lack of dominant patch types, and decreased landscape diversity have further intensified regional ecological vulnerability. This research holds significant theoretical and practical implications for guiding ecological environmental governance in mountainous regions, enhancing ecological resilience, and promoting regional sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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19 pages, 3709 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Wildlife Artificial Water Provisioning in an African Savannah Ecosystem: A Spatiotemporal Analysis
by Morati Mpalo, Lenyeletse Vincent Basupi and Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu
Land 2024, 13(5), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050690 - 15 May 2024
Viewed by 2453
Abstract
The use of artificial water points for wildlife in African savannah ecosystems has been widely criticised for affecting the distribution of wildlife and initiating changes in the heterogeneity of natural landscapes. We examined the spatiotemporal variations in the landscape before and after the [...] Read more.
The use of artificial water points for wildlife in African savannah ecosystems has been widely criticised for affecting the distribution of wildlife and initiating changes in the heterogeneity of natural landscapes. We examined the spatiotemporal variations in the landscape before and after the installation of an artificial water point by integrating the analysis of vegetation and soil spectral response patterns with a supervised learning random forest model between 2002 and 2022 in Chobe Enclave, Northern Botswana. Our results revealed that the study area is characterised by animal species such as Equus quagga, Aepyceros melampus, and Loxodonta africana. The findings also showed that the main vegetation species in the study area landscape include Combretum elaeagnoides, Vachellia luederitzii, and Combretum hereroense. The artificial water point induced disturbances on a drought-vulnerable landscape which affected vegetation heterogeneity by degrading the historically dominant vegetation cover types such as Colophospermum mopane, Dichrostachys cinerea, and Cynodon dactylon. The immediate years following the artificial water point installation demonstrated the highest spectral response patterns by vegetation and soil features attributed to intense landscape disturbances due to abrupt high-density aggregation of wildlife around the water point. Landscapes were strongly homogenised in later years (2022), as shown by overly overlapping spectral patterns owing to an increase in dead plant-based material and senescent foliage due to vegetation toppling and trampling. The landscape disturbances disproportionately affected mopane-dominated woodlands compared to other vegetation species as indicated by statistically significant land cover change obtained from a random forest classification. The woodlands declined significantly (p < 0.05) within 0–0.5 km, 0.5–1 km, 1–5 km, and 5–10 km distances after the installation of the water point. The results of this study indicate that continuous nonstrategic and uninformed use of artificial water points for wildlife will trigger ecological alterations in savannah ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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20 pages, 5418 KiB  
Article
Vegetation Fires in the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin (The Democratic Republic of the Congo): Drivers, Extent and Spatiotemporal Dynamics
by Yannick Useni Sikuzani, Médard Mpanda Mukenza, Héritier Khoji Muteya, Nadège Cirezi Cizungu, François Malaisse and Jan Bogaert
Land 2023, 12(12), 2171; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122171 - 15 Dec 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2014
Abstract
In the Lubumbashi charcoal production basin (LCPB) in Southeastern DR Congo, agricultural and charcoal production activities regularly give rise to fires that lead to considerable degradation of the miombo open forest. This study analyzes the drivers of the spatiotemporal distribution of active fires [...] Read more.
In the Lubumbashi charcoal production basin (LCPB) in Southeastern DR Congo, agricultural and charcoal production activities regularly give rise to fires that lead to considerable degradation of the miombo open forest. This study analyzes the drivers of the spatiotemporal distribution of active fires and burnt areas in the LCPB by processing MODIS and Landsat data. In addition, a kernel density analysis method (KDE) was used to estimate fire risk, while the effect of the road network and dwellings on vegetation fires was highlighted in areas between a 0 and 3000 m radius. The obtained results revealed that fires in the LCPB generally occur between April and November, mainly during the day, between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. These fires are concentrated in the central and southwestern part of the LCPB, more specifically in the savannahs and near roads. From 2002 to 2022, an average of 11,237 active fires and an average of 6337 km2 of burnt areas were recorded in the LCPB. Each year, these fires peak in August, and despite their steady decline, the few fires that have affected the forests have caused more devastation (more than 2790 km2/year) than those observed in the fields and savannah. These figures highlight the imperative need to put in place fire prevention and management measures in the LCPB, with particular emphasis on awareness, monitoring, and fire-fighting measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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20 pages, 7829 KiB  
Article
Land Use/Land Cover Changes in Baicheng District, China during the Period 1954–2020 and Their Driving Forces
by Bin Peng, Jiuchun Yang, Yixue Li and Shuwen Zhang
Land 2023, 12(10), 1845; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101845 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1914
Abstract
Temporal and spatial variations in land use/land cover (LULC) and their driving factors are direct reflections of regional natural and anthropogenic impacts. To explore the pathways for green upgrading development in ecologically fragile areas, this study focused on Baicheng, located in the northern [...] Read more.
Temporal and spatial variations in land use/land cover (LULC) and their driving factors are direct reflections of regional natural and anthropogenic impacts. To explore the pathways for green upgrading development in ecologically fragile areas, this study focused on Baicheng, located in the northern agropastoral transition zone, China. Based on the topographic map of 1954 and Landsat remote sensing images taken from 1976 to 2020, the spatial distribution of LULC data for the study area in 1954, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2010, and 2020 was obtained. The temporal and spatial characteristics of LULC changes and their driving factors under the combined influence of human activities and climate were analyzed using dynamic degree, flowchart, spatial analysis, and principal component analysis. The results indicate that (1) the dominant LULC type in Baicheng is cropland. By 2020, dry land accounted for over 41% of the total area, while the area of saline–alkaline land increased the most, and grassland decreased most drastically. (2) The dynamic degree of different LULC types ranked from highest to lowest as follows: paddy field > unused land and other types > woodland > saline–alkaline land. (3) LULC Changes in Baicheng were mainly influenced by human activities and economic development, especially regional gross domestic product and the sown area of crops. These research findings can provide a scientific basis for formulating sustainable development and protection strategies to ensure regional green upgrading development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Landscape Patterns under Land Use Change)
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