Search Results (349)

Urban green spaces (UGS) are critical regulators of carbon sequestration in industrial cities; however, the configuration mechanisms underlying their carbon dynamics remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates how landscape configuration influences carbon sequestration capacity in Lanzhou and Baotou using multi-temporal datasets from 2000, 2011, and 2022. Net primary productivity (NPP) derived from the CASA model was employed to represent carbon sequestration capacity. An integrated XGBoost-SHAP framework was applied to identify dominant configuration metrics, nonlinear responses, and structural thresholds. The XGBoost model showed stable predictive performance across the three periods, with test-set R² values ranging from 0.470 to 0.510 in Lanzhou and from 0.325 to 0.379 in Baotou. The results reveal systematic and persistent differences in configuration-driven controls between the two cities. In Lanzhou, aggregation-related metrics, particularly COHESION, consistently exert the strongest influence across all three periods, indicating that spatial cohesion and connectivity function as primary stabilizing mechanisms in a mountainous, valley-constrained urban system. Carbon sequestration performance increases once sufficient structural integration is achieved, with aggregation thresholds remaining relatively stable, for example AI values of approximately 0.31–0.34 across 2000–2022, reflecting the importance of maintaining ecological continuity under semi-arid climatic stress. In contrast, Baotou is more strongly regulated by fragmentation-related metrics, especially edge density (ED) and division index (DIVISION), suggesting that its relatively open terrain and industrial spatial structure render carbon sequestration more sensitive to patch separation and edge proliferation. Here, fragmentation acts as a dominant structural constraint, limiting vegetation productivity once spatial disintegration intensifies; for example, ED thresholds shifted from approximately −0.23 in 2000 to −0.56 in 2022. Landscape–carbon relationships exhibit pronounced nonlinear and threshold-dependent behavior in both cities. Rather than responding gradually to structural modification, NPP shifts across identifiable transition points that remain broadly stable over time; for instance, Lanzhou’s AI threshold remains within 0.31–0.34, whereas Baotou’s ED threshold changes from −0.23 to −0.56 across 2000–2022, indicating that these thresholds represent intrinsic structural characteristics of the respective urban ecological systems. However, the magnitude and configuration logic of these thresholds differ between Lanzhou and Baotou, confirming the existence of city-specific nonlinear regimes. These findings demonstrate that urban carbon sequestration operates through context-dependent configuration pathways shaped by terrain, climatic constraints, and long-term spatial organization. The study advances understanding of how structural heterogeneity governs carbon dynamics in arid and semi-arid industrial cities and provides a quantitative basis for configuration-sensitive land planning. Full article

Current sustainability discourse promotes sustainable yard practices as a means for residents to contribute to urban environmental health and soil conservation. Social–ecological research suggests that yard practices are shaped by multiscale social drivers, including social contagion, whereby visible expressions of individuality in front yard design are copied by nearby neighbors. This study evaluated residential areas within the Río Piedras Watershed (RPWS) in the San Juan metropolitan area to assess evidence of social contagion in front yard configuration and vegetation structure, and to examine whether these variables were associated with socio-demographic and economic characteristics when spatial effects were considered. A total of 6858 front yards across six highly urbanized sites were analyzed using Google Earth Street View imagery. Housing lot sizes were quantified, and yards were classified into eight landscape configurations based on green and gray cover elements. Woody vegetation structures, including trees, shrubs, and palms, were also quantified to generate estimates of functional diversity and a front yard quality index. Significant differences in yard characteristics were observed among sites. Spatial analyses revealed significant clustering at distances of 65–80 m, particularly for front yard configuration, while clustering of woody vegetation density was weaker. Local clustering patterns and the distribution of outliers varied across sites. Spatial lag models indicated that lot area positively influenced yard configuration and quality, and the density and diversity of woody vegetation. While socio-economic variables were not significant predictors of yard quality, their effects cannot be discarded. Overall, results are consistent with social contagion processes but also highlight neighborhood design as a key driver of clustering, alongside widespread conversion of green to paved front yards, with implications for soil and green infrastructure loss as well as environmental and human health in the RPWS. Full article

Against the backdrop of global warming and the urgent demand for sustainable development, blue–green spaces (BGSs) play a vital role in carbon reduction and sequestration, yet the multi-scale spatial mechanisms by which blue–green space patterns (BGSPs) regulate carbon storage (CS) remain unclear. Taking the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area as the study area, this research clarifies the BGSP-CS correlations at both class and landscape levels and quantifies their spatial interaction mechanisms, providing scientific support for integrated BGS planning that aligns with sustainable development objectives. Using the InVEST model coupled with regional carbon density correction, the total CS of the area is estimated at 1112.27 × 10⁶ t. Spearman’s correlation analysis shows that at the class level, area–edge and shape complexity indicators (e.g., Landscape Shape Index, LSI: r = −0.427) are negatively correlated with CS, while connectivity indicators exert no significant effect. At the landscape level, Shannon’s Diversity Index (SHDI: r = −0.635) and area–edge indicators inhibit CS, whereas Shannon’s Evenness Index (SHEI: r = 0.602), Largest Patch Index (LPI: r = 0.618) and shape complexity indicators exert positive effects. A comparative analysis of three regression models reveals that the multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model outperforms the ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models, with R² values of 0.505 (class level) and 0.484 (landscape level). It effectively captures the “west–strong and east–weak” spatial heterogeneity of BGSP impacts on CS. This study identifies key BGSP indicators regulating CS and their spatial mechanisms, providing scientific support for integrated BGS planning, regional carbon sink enhancement, the achievement of “dual carbon” goals, and the promotion of sustainable development in metropolitan areas. Future research may optimize model parameters through field surveys and explore the coupling mechanism between BGSPs, land surface temperature and CS to better align BGS management with sustainable development agendas. Full article

This study aimed to analyze changes in vegetation, built-up areas, and population growth in Lahore city from 1990 to 2023. The data was acquired from Google Earth Engine, and the spectral bands were retrieved from Landsat 5 and Landsat 8. The decadal analysis of the landscape was conducted from 1993 to 2001, 2001 to 2012, and from 2013 to 2023. Further analysis was conducted in ArcGIS version 10.3 to evaluate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index to assess vegetation and built-up areas, respectively. To analyze the urban population of Lahore, data were obtained from the Global Human Settlement Layer for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Results revealed that the total vegetated area of Lahore city decreased from 1453.0 km² in 1993–2001 to 788.2 km² in 2013–2023. Moreover, the urban built-up area expanded from 319.6 km² in 1993–2001 to 966.8 km² in 2013–2023. Sub-district-level analysis indicated that Model Town and Raiwind areas of Lahore depicted better vegetation recovery in this decade. The population of Lahore has been increasing steadily, with the 2010s being a particularly rapid period of growth. The projections for 2030 also depict a continuous growth pattern. This study was further developed by integrating multi-decadal averaging coupled with selected-year analysis to distinguish gradual land transformation from relatively accelerated phases of urban expansion of Lahore. Also, by combining NDVI and NDBI values on both Lahore and its tehsil level, the research provides a collective sub-district- and district-level perspective into the spatial heterogeneity of peri-urban transformations. The findings of the study explain how major infrastructural projects shape the urban growth patterns of cities like Lahore and cause a decline in the green areas of fast-growing cities in South Asia. This study further highlights the consequences of unplanned urban expansion in regions where high population growth has compromised green infrastructure and threatened ecological balance. In addition, it supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by providing spatial evidence of urban expansion of the city and losses of its green spaces. The findings offer empirical insights to support climate-resilient developments. The study also demonstrates the necessity of integrating green infrastructure and providing robust strategies for forthcoming urban planning projects and policy development regarding urban expansion. Full article

Chinese poetry is rich in cultural landscapes, and the cultural spirit in poetry imbues these landscapes with profound meaning and value. Exploring and integrating the cultural landscape resources in poetry offers a novel approach for the planning and development of national cultural parks (NCPs). In this study, the Yangtze River NCP in Hubei Province is chosen as the case study area, owing to its deep historical heritage in poetic literature and its wealth of poetic works. The temporal–spatial evolution and formation mechanisms of cultural landscapes in poetry (CLP) from the Pre-Qin period to the Republic of China period are examined by using the landscape index, ArcGIS spatial analysis methods, Geodetector, and cultural ecology theory. This study contributes to research on CLP in two key ways: (1) The landscape index is used to evaluate the cultural value of CLP and is subsequently incorporated as a weighting factor in spatial analysis. It enables more precise identification of the spatial patterns of CLP and highlight the most iconic and culturally significant landscapes. This supports the optimization and integration of Chinese poetic cultural resources. (2) Drawing on cultural ecology theory, Geodetector is applied to examine the influencing factors and underlying mechanisms shaping the temporal–spatial evolution of CLP. It offers theoretical insights into the formation mechanisms of spatial distribution in other forms of cultural heritage. Overall, this study broadens the perspective on cultural landscapes in Chinese poetry and provides practical guidance for the planning and construction of the Yangtze River NCP in Hubei Province. Full article

Assessing ecosystem health in rapidly urbanizing watersheds requires policy-relevant and empirically grounded indicator systems. Focusing on the Luxi River Basin in Chengdu’s Tianfu New Area, this study develops an ecosystem health evaluation and restoration zoning scheme based on the Pressure–State–Response framework (PSR). Utilizing remote sensing land use maps for 2004, 2014, and 2024 with overall accuracy and Kappa above 85% and 0.80, respectively, a 13-indicator PSR health index with entropy-based weighting was constructed at the township and subdistrict scales. Aiming to support objective indicator selection and interpretation, multiscale landscape dynamics were further quantified using FRAGSTATS and moving window analysis, including mean patch area, patch density, landscape shape index, largest patch index, Shannon diversity index, Shannon evenness index, contagion index, and splitting index, and sensitive landscape descriptors and major driving factors were identified. Results show a shift in landscape patterns, from relatively aggregated configurations toward highly complex and fragmented ones. Largest patch dominance, measured by the largest patch index, declined from 66.71 to 22.79, while connectivity, measured by the contagion index, decreased from 59.74 to 45.10. Subdivision, measured by the splitting index, increased from 2.24 to 12.88, and compositional heterogeneity, measured by the Shannon diversity index, increased from 0.86 to 1.26. The PSR assessment indicates that demographic pressure intensified over time, whereas improvements in water resource supply, technological progress, and industrial upgrading partially alleviated overall pressure in some subregions. Ecosystem state exhibited strong spatial heterogeneity, with sustained high health in the eastern Longquan Mountain area and substantial improvement around Xinglong Lake, while northern urbanized and southern agricultural subregions lagged behind. Environmental governance responses strengthened, with the response index increasing from 0.2297 to 0.9885. Overall ecosystem health demonstrated a modest but stable improvement from 2004 to 2024, with 65.48% of the area revealing slight improvement, 1.14% experiencing substantial improvement, 29.62% remaining stable, and 3.76% experiencing slight degradation. Finally, restoration priority zones were delineated, and targeted strategies were introduced to inform basin-scale ecological management in the Luxi River Basin. Full article

As global warming intensifies, urban heat stress is increasing. Urban blue–green spaces (UBGSs) reduce heat exposure, and refined planning can enhance cooling in space-limited cities. Yet drivers and mechanisms at the urban-agglomeration scale remain unclear. This study quantified the cooling intensity (CI) of 162 UBGS across 27 cities in the Yangtze River Delta using summer 2020 land surface temperature data (June–August). CI is defined as the average temperature difference (ΔLST) between the UBGS and its surrounding buffer. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) methods were applied to analyze the driving factors. Key findings include (1) the top five factors by SHAP value: Area (0.38), buffer NDBI (0.16), lake/river landscape shape index (0.07), buffer tree height (0.06), and buffer population (0.06). (2) CI rises with Area only up to 50 hm² and then plateaus at ~6 °C. Buffer NDBI strengthens CI, with faster gains when buffer NDBI < −0.2. Water-shape effects are stepwise, and a lake/river shape index of 5–8 delivers near-optimal cooling. Interactions indicate stronger cooling in large parks with high water coverage and in sites combining complex water edges with dominant grassland patches. These findings support structure-focused UBGS design and targeted mitigation in dense urban areas. Full article

This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive mapping of the scientific landscape on education financing in Europe, highlighting its main trends, conceptual foundations, and influential contributions. Based on 168 publications indexed in the Web of Science and analyzed using VOSviewer, the research traces the chronological evolution of the field, explores keyword co-occurrence networks, and identifies the most impactful studies. Findings indicate a steady growth of academic interest after 2005, with a notable peak from 2014 to 2019, stimulated by major European policy frameworks such as Europe 2020 and Horizon 2020. Keyword analysis reveals dominant themes—including higher education, performance-based funding, human capital, digitalization, and governance—while areas such as pre-university education, digital equity, and large-scale comparative assessments remain insufficiently explored. Highly cited publications focus on the diversification of funding sources, the tensions generated by neoliberal approaches in higher education, and the persistent challenges of financing inclusive education. In addition, country-level analysis highlights an uneven geographic distribution of research output, with scientific production concentrated in a limited number of European countries, alongside contributions from non-European partners reflecting international collaboration patterns. Overall, results show that European research on education financing is fragmented and often shaped by political and institutional priorities. By identifying major research directions and uncovering existing gaps, this study offers a valuable foundation for future investigations aimed at strengthening equity, sustainability, and innovation in the financing of education systems. Full article

Urban vitality is a crucial indicator of a city’s sustainable development and the quality of life of its residents. Investigating the spatiotemporal patterns and influencing mechanisms of urban vitality is essential for optimizing the built-environment and improving governance. Using the central urban area of Guiyang, China, as a case study, this research integrates multi-source urban sensing data to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of urban vitality and their driving factors. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) and machine learning combined with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) are applied to capture spatial heterogeneity, nonlinear relationships, and threshold effects among influencing variables. Results show that urban vitality exhibits a Y-shaped, single-core, multi-center, and clustered spatial configuration, with slightly higher intensity on weekdays and similar diurnal rhythms across weekdays and weekends. The effects of influencing factors display strong spatial non-stationarity, characterized by a concentric gradient radiating outward from the historic Laocheng core. Building density (BD), residential point density (RED), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and road density (RD) emerge as the dominant contributors to urban vitality, while topographic conditions play a relatively minor role. The relationships between key landscape and built-environment variables and urban vitality are highly nonlinear, with distinct threshold effects. By integrating spatial econometric modeling and explainable machine learning, this study advances methodological approaches for urban vitality research and provides practical insights for landscape-oriented urban planning and human-centered spatial design. Full article

Understanding how avian assemblages respond to seasonal dynamics within urban land-cover structure is crucial for biodiversity conservation in rapidly urbanizing environments. Here, we investigated seasonal variation in avian dietary and foraging location guilds in central Taizhou City, China. Field surveys were conducted using the line transect method from April to November 2024. We assessed seasonal changes in community composition and the relationships between bird guilds and land cover types using multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP), non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and fourth-corner analysis. Bird community composition exhibited significant seasonal variations (MRPP, p < 0.05), with NMDS ordination showing a clear seasonal separation. Foraging location guilds exhibited more pronounced seasonal fluctuations in individual abundance than the dietary guilds. The Shannon diversity index for dietary guilds peaked in spring, followed by summer and autumn, whereas foraging location guilds exhibited higher diversity in summer and autumn. Fourth-corner analysis identified significant associations between guilds and land cover types, with foraging location guilds demonstrating stronger and more consistent responses to habitat structure than dietary guilds. Together, these results indicate that in urban landscapes, the spatial arrangement of habitats may shape avian foraging behavior more strongly than food availability alone, highlighting the need to integrate both structural and resource-based habitat features into urban planning and conservation. Full article

Although extensive evidence notes a nonlinear relationship between urban greenspace and wellbeing, the conditional role of spatial patterns in this relationship has rarely been examined. To address this gap, this study investigates whether and how landscape metrics moderate the nonlinear association between greenspace coverage and life satisfaction (LS) in urban China. Using nationally representative data from the 2015 wave of the Chinese Social Survey (N = 4319 across 321 subdistricts), this study combines individual-level LS scores with high-resolution GlobeLand30 land use data. Moderated quadratic regression models and formal endpoint slope and turning point tests are applied to identify both the shape and dynamics of the greenspace–wellbeing relationship. The analysis reveals a robust U-shaped curve: LS is lowest at moderate greenspace levels and higher at both low and high extremes. Critically, spatial pattern features, including aggregation index, Euclidean nearest neighbor distance, patch density, and patch richness, significantly moderate this relationship. The turning point of the U-shape moves rightward with greater aggregation and leftward with higher fragmentation or richness. While visual presentation indicates that the curve flips at low patch isolation, further statistical analyses indicate insufficient curve steepness. These findings support that the “more is better” argument should be extended to consider both greenspace quantity and spatial configuration in urban planning for optimal wellbeing outcomes. Full article

Marine fog is a key non-rainfall water source that sustains microbial activity and transports dissolved nutrients inland, influencing early soil development in hyperarid ecosystems. However, the mechanisms through which sustained fog inputs drive soil surface modification and biocrust formation remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of long-term fog augmentation on soil surface development, biocrust dynamics, and associated microbial communities in the Atacama Desert. We implemented a four-year fog addition field experiment with three sampling times (T0, T24, T48) to assess changes in soil physicochemical properties, biocrust composition, and the integrated multi-diversity of archaea, bacteria, fungi and protist. Sustained fog input transformed bare soils into biological soil crusts, particularly lichen- and moss-dominated stages. This transition was accompanied by increases in soil nitrogen, variations in organic matter accumulation, a shift from alkaline to near-neutral pH, and improvements in soil stability and water retention. Multi-diversity increased over time and was positively associated with ecosystem variables linked to water availability, structural stabilization, and decomposition. These functions, integrated into an ecosystem multifunctionality index, also increased under prolonged fog input, revealing a positive relationship between multifunctionality and multi-diversity. Overall, the results demonstrate that sustained fog input strongly enhances early soil surface development and biocrust establishment, highlighting the ecological importance of marine fog in shaping biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in hyperarid landscapes. Full article

Global environmental changes significantly alter ecosystem services (ESs), particularly in fragile regions like the Tibetan Plateau. While methodological advances have improved spatial assessment capabilities, understanding of how multiple drivers interact to shape ecosystem service heterogeneity remains limited to regional scales, especially across complex alpine landscapes. This study aims to clarify whether multi-factor interactions produce nonlinear enhancements in ES explanatory power and how these driver–response relationships vary across heterogeneous terrains. We quantified spatiotemporal patterns of four key ecosystem services—water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and habitat quality (HQ)—across the southeastern Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2020 using multi-source remote sensing data and spatial econometric modeling. Our analysis reveals that SC increased by 0.43 t·hm⁻²·yr⁻¹, CS rose by 1.67 g·m⁻²·yr⁻¹, and HQ improved by 0.09 over this period, while WY decreased by 3.70 mm·yr⁻¹. ES variations are predominantly shaped by potent synergies, where interactive explanatory power consistently surpasses individual drivers. Hydrothermal coupling (precipitation ∩ potential evapotranspiration) reached 0.52 for WY and SC, while climate–vegetation synergy (precipitation ∩ normalized difference vegetation index) achieved 0.76 for CS. Such climate–restoration synergies now fundamentally shape the region’s ESs. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) further revealed distinct spatial dependencies, with southeastern regions experiencing strong negative effects of land use type and elevation on WY, while northwestern areas showed a positive elevation associated with WY but negative effects on SC and HQ. These findings highlight the critical importance of accounting for spatial non-stationarity in driver–ecosystem service relationships when designing conservation strategies for vulnerable alpine ecosystems. Full article

The floodplain landscape of the lower Yellow River is jointly shaped by natural water-sediment processes and human activities. With intensified regulation by large reservoirs and increasing human development intensity, the landscape pattern of the floodplain has undergone significant changes. Clarifying the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic factors, as well as their interactive mechanisms, is crucial for ecological management of the floodplain. Based on 40-year long-term land-use data and hydrological and meteorological observations, this study integrates landscape metrics, the human interference index (HI), grey relational analysis, and partial least squares regression to quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of landscape pattern in the floodplain of the lower Yellow River and to elucidate the driving mechanisms underlying landscape-pattern evolution. The results indicate that (1) during the study period, the areas of cultivated land and built-up land in the floodplain continuously increased, whereas natural wetlands and grassland decreased accordingly. Taking 2000 as a breakpoint, the rate and direction of landscape change exhibited stage-dependent differences. (2) Landscape pattern metrics changed nonlinearly: the number of patches decreased first and then increased; the patch cohesion index increased first and then declined; and Shannon’s diversity index showed an overall downward trend. These changes suggest a process of landscape consolidation induced by agricultural cultivation, followed by re-fragmentation driven by the expansion of built-up land. (3) Driving-mechanism analysis shows that the HI is the primary driver of the current changes in floodplain landscape pattern. After the operation of the Xiaolangdi Dam, water-sediment conditions tended to stabilize and flood risk in the floodplain decreased, thereby creating favourable conditions for human activities. This study highlights the stage-dependent influences of natural and anthropogenic factors on floodplain landscape evolution under dam regulation and suggests that management strategies should be adapted to the current re-fragmentation phase, prioritizing the strict control of agricultural expansion and the restoration of ecological corridors to mitigate anthropogenic interference under stable dam regulation. Full article

Forests play a vital role in the global carbon cycle but face growing anthropogenic pressures, with climate change and forest fragmentation among the most critical. In West Africa, particularly in Ghana, the interaction between increasing aridity and forest fragmentation remains underexplored, despite its significance for forest biomass dynamics and carbon storage processes. This study examined how spatial variation in climatic aridity (Aridity Index, AI) affects above-ground biomass (AGB) in Ghana’s ecological zones, both directly and indirectly through forest fragmentation and biodiversity, using structural equation modeling (SEM) and generalized additive models (GAMs). Results from this study show that AGB declines along the aridity gradient, with humid zones supporting the highest biomass and semi-arid zones the lowest. The SEM analysis revealed that areas with a lower aridity index (drier conditions) had significantly lower AGB, indicating that arid conditions are associated with lower forest biomass. Fragmentation patterns align with this relationship, while biodiversity (as measured by species richness) showed weak associations, likely reflecting both ecological and data limitations. GAMs highlighted nonlinear fragmentation effects: mean patch area (AREA_MN) was the strongest predictor, showing a unimodal relationship with biomass, whereas number of patches (NP), edge density (ED), and landscape shape index (LSI) reduced AGB. Overall, these findings demonstrate that aridity and spatial configuration jointly control biomass, with fragmentation acting as a key mediator of this relationship. Dry and transitional forests emerge as particularly vulnerable, emphasizing the need for management strategies that maintain large, connected forest patches and integrate restoration into climate adaptation policies. Full article