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Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 4561

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuanzhi Yao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: earth system model; GIS; hydrology; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaoai Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, School of Geography and Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Interests: remote sensing information intelligent extraction and modeling; spatial analysis and cartography; ecosystem services and sustainable development; water use effi-ciency; climate change and hydrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xue Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: GIS/RS; spatial analysis; satellite image analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled “Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology”, encompasses the application of GIS technology for enhancing ecological sustainability. Its scope includes the use of GISs for environmental monitoring, habitat management, and conservation planning. The purpose is to explore how GISs can support sustainable ecological practices by providing spatial analysis, mapping, and data integration capabilities that aid in understanding and managing natural resources.

This Special Issue centers on the integration of Geographical Information Systems (GISs) in promoting sustainable ecological practices. It highlights how GISs can enhance the understanding, management, and conservation of natural environments. The focus includes the application of GISs for spatial analysis, environmental monitoring, habitat management, and supporting ecological sustainability. The scope covers a wide range of GIS applications relevant to ecological sustainability. This includes spatial data collection and analysis for environmental monitoring, GIS-based habitat and species management, evaluation of ecological impacts and risk assessments, as well as the integration of GISs with other technologies for enhanced environmental management. The purpose of this Special Issue is to showcase how GIS technology can be leveraged to support and advance sustainable ecological practices. It will complement the existing literature by introducing new applications, providing detailed case studies, and highlighting interdisciplinary approaches.

Dr. Yuanzhi Yao
Dr. Xiaoai Dai
Dr. Xue Liu
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

Keywords

  • geographical information systems (GISs)
  • sustainable ecology
  • environmental monitoring
  • spatial analysis
  • habitat management
  • resource management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4195 KB  
Article
Sustainable Cold Region Urban Expansion Assessment Through Impervious Surface Classification and GDP Spatial Simulation
by Guanghong Ren and Luhe Wan
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11363; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411363 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 151
Abstract
In the context of accelerating global urbanization and sustainable development challenges, impervious surfaces, as a key component of urban land cover, are significantly associated with regional economic development. This study takes Harbin, a typical cold region city, as a research object and constructs [...] Read more.
In the context of accelerating global urbanization and sustainable development challenges, impervious surfaces, as a key component of urban land cover, are significantly associated with regional economic development. This study takes Harbin, a typical cold region city, as a research object and constructs a three-level analytical framework of “land surface classification-economic simulation-mechanism analysis.” By innovatively integrating multi-source remote sensing, demographic, and economic data, the research addresses gaps in understanding urban sustainability in cold environments. An enhanced XGBoost algorithm was employed to achieve high-precision classification of ten land surface materials, resulting in a high overall accuracy. Furthermore, a gridded GDP spatialization model developed using high-resolution population data demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional methods. Machine learning-assisted analysis revealed that asphalt and metal surfaces are the most significant impervious materials driving economic output, reflecting the respective influences of transportation infrastructure and industrial agglomeration. Spatial pattern analysis indicates that Harbin’s impervious surfaces exhibit a lower fractal dimension and a distinct grid-like morphology compared to the typical subtropical city of Guangzhou, underscoring urban form adaptations to cold climatic constraints. The strong spatial coupling between gradients of GDP intensity and the attenuation of impervious surface density is quantitatively confirmed. This study provides a quantitative basis and a transferable technical framework for optimizing land use intensity and infrastructure planning in cold cities, thereby offering a scientific foundation for sustainable, intensive land utilization in climate-vulnerable urban systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology)
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23 pages, 5933 KB  
Article
Assessing Climate Regulation Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Management: A Multidimensional Framework to Inform Regional Pathways
by Linglin Zhao, Man Li, Guangbin Yang and Ou Deng
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 10918; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172410918 - 6 Dec 2025
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Climate regulation ecosystem services (CRESs) play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and promoting regional sustainability. Previous studies have primarily focused on the total volume or per-unit-area quantity of CRESs, with limited attention given to their underlying driving mechanisms. This neglect overlooks [...] Read more.
Climate regulation ecosystem services (CRESs) play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and promoting regional sustainability. Previous studies have primarily focused on the total volume or per-unit-area quantity of CRESs, with limited attention given to their underlying driving mechanisms. This neglect overlooks their multidimensional attributes and dynamic complexity. Such simplifications often overlook the multidimensional attributes and dynamic complexity inherent in these services. Therefore, this study introduces a multidimensional evaluation framework to reveal the characteristic of the spatiotemporal evolution of CRESs. By integrating a multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, the intensity and effective distance of theireffects are quantitatively identified, thereby providing a scientific and refined cognitive foundation for regional sustainable development. The results showed the following: (1) Between 2002 and 2022, CRESs in Guizhou Province showed an upward trend, with 64% of counties experiencing positive trends, whereas 51% of counties remained below average in terms of output and efficiency. (2) The spatial pattern of CRESs varied significantly, with stabilization in hotspots, improvement in coldspots, and the highest proportion of “A progress zones” in the east (45%). (3) Vegetation cover and annual precipitation were the two mainpositive factors that most strongly influenced the intensity of the CRESs, with values of 1.494 and 1.196, respectively; GDP had the most significant negative effect, with a value of −0.189; and population density had the largest range of effects, with a bandwidth of 1629. (4) Except for annual rainfall and aspect, the remaining eight influencingfactors, including population density, GDP, altitude, NPP, vegetation cover, annual temperature, and annual humidity, had positive and negative bidirectional effects on CRESs. Overall, this study emphasizes the need for differentiated, sustainability-oriented management strategies to better integrate ecosystem service evaluations into regional planning and sustainable policy development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology)
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18 pages, 4155 KB  
Article
Spatial–Temporal Patterns of Methane Emissions from Livestock in Xinjiang During 2000–2020
by Qixiao Xu, Yumeng Li, Yongfa You, Lei Zhang, Haoyu Zhang, Zeyu Zhang, Yuanzhi Yao and Ye Huang
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9021; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209021 - 11 Oct 2025
Viewed by 672
Abstract
Livestock represent a significant source of methane (CH4) emissions, particularly in pastoral regions. However, in Xinjiang—a pivotal pastoral region of China—the spatiotemporal patterns of livestock CH4 emissions remain poorly characterized, constraining regional mitigation actions. Here, a detailed CH4 emissions [...] Read more.
Livestock represent a significant source of methane (CH4) emissions, particularly in pastoral regions. However, in Xinjiang—a pivotal pastoral region of China—the spatiotemporal patterns of livestock CH4 emissions remain poorly characterized, constraining regional mitigation actions. Here, a detailed CH4 emissions inventory for livestock in Xinjiang spanning the period 2000–2020 is compiled. Eight livestock categories were covered, gridded livestock maps were developed, and the dynamic emission factors were built by using the IPCC 2019 Tier 2 approaches. Results indicate that the CH4 emissions increased from ~0.7 Tg in 2000 to ~0.9 Tg in 2020, a 28.5% increase over the past twenty years. Beef cattle contributed the most to the emission increase (59.6% of total increase), followed by dairy cattle (35.7%), sheep (13.9%), and pigs (4.3%). High-emission hotspots were consistently located in the Ili River Valley, Bortala, and the northwestern margins of the Tarim Basin. Temporal trend analysis revealed increasing emission intensities in these regions, reflecting the influence of policy shifts, rangeland dynamics, and evolving livestock production systems. The high-resolution map of CH4 emissions from livestock and their temporal trends provides key insights into CH4 mitigation, with enteric fermentation showing greater potential for emission reduction. This study offers the first long-term, high-resolution CH4 emission inventory for Xinjiang, providing essential spatial insights to inform targeted mitigation strategies and enhance sustainable livestock management in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology)
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14 pages, 7734 KB  
Article
Evolution Characteristics of Water Use Efficiency and the Impact of Its Driving Factors on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau in China
by Pei Wang, Xuepeng Zhang, Yang Liu and Wei Nie
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11163; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411163 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1268
Abstract
Water use efficiency (WUE) of ecosystems plays a crucial role in balancing carbon storage and water consumption. The Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, a karst landscape region with relatively fragile ecosystems in China, requires a better understanding of the evolution of WUE and the factors driving [...] Read more.
Water use efficiency (WUE) of ecosystems plays a crucial role in balancing carbon storage and water consumption. The Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, a karst landscape region with relatively fragile ecosystems in China, requires a better understanding of the evolution of WUE and the factors driving it for the region’s ecological sustainability. This study employs Theil–Sen slope estimation and Mann–Kendall significance analysis to investigate the temporal trends and spatial patterns of WUE in the study area. Additionally, a machine learning model, XGBoost, is used to establish driving relationships, and the SHAP model is applied to interpret the importance of the driving factors and their specific relationship with WUE. The results show that (1) WUE exhibits an increasing trend, with a slope of 0.002, indicating improved water absorption and utilization capacity of vegetation in the region. (2) The spatial distribution of WUE follows a “high–low–high” pattern from southwest to northeast, with 6.68% of the area showing a significant increase, 50.80% showing a weak increase, 4.60% showing a significant decrease, and 37.92% showing a weak decrease. (3) The importance of the driving factors is ranked as follows: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), maximum temperature (TMAX), shortwave radiation (SRAD), Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and precipitation (PRE). The NDVI has a linear positive relationship with WUE; SRAD has a decreasing effect on WUE, with this effect weakening at higher values; and TMAX, PRE, the PDSI, and VPD show a non-monotonic relationship with WUE, increasing and then decreasing. The findings of this study are significant for ecological civilization construction and sustainable development in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology)
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Review

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25 pages, 1957 KB  
Review
Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Ecological Impact Assessment: A Methods Landscape, Practical Bottlenecks, and Future Pathways
by Jun Dong, Xiongwei Liang, Baolong Du, Yongfu Ju, Yingning Wang and Huabing Guo
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10358; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210358 - 19 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1158
Abstract
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are central to spatial evidence in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In this review, GIS is used in a broad, integrative sense to refer to an ecosystem of geospatial technologies—such as remote sensing (RS) and GPS—where GIS serves as the [...] Read more.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are central to spatial evidence in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In this review, GIS is used in a broad, integrative sense to refer to an ecosystem of geospatial technologies—such as remote sensing (RS) and GPS—where GIS serves as the core platform for managing, analyzing, and communicating spatial data throughout the EIA process. GIS plays a crucial role at each stage of EIA, from baseline data collection to spatial analysis, ecological sensitivity mapping, impact prediction, scenario simulation, and landscape connectivity assessment. These capabilities support alternatives analysis, risk communication, and decision-making in EIA. This paper synthesizes thematic evidence and presents case studies to illustrate the synergies between GIS, remote sensing, GeoAI, and multisource data fusion. It highlights operational workflows and key deliverables for EIA applications, including urban expansion, transport corridors, and protected-area management. We identify persistent challenges in data quality and standardization, interoperability, model uncertainty, and policy gaps. To address them, we propose a minimum geospatial dataset with clear metadata standards, interpretable GeoAI paired with formal sensitivity analysis, IoT–GIS pipelines for real-time monitoring and adaptive management, and the systematic inclusion of cumulative effects and climate scenarios. By linking GIS methods to typical decision points and reporting standards in EIA, this review clarifies where GIS adds value, how to quantify and communicate uncertainty, and how to align analytical outputs with regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations. The study offers a practical framework and implementation checklist for standardized, transparent, and reproducible EIA processes, contributing to evidence-based ecological governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geographical Information System for Sustainable Ecology)
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