Search Results (217)

Posidonia oceanica seagrass, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, provides ecological goods and ecosystem services of paramount importance. In shallow and sheltered bays, P. oceanica meadows can reach the sea surface, with leaf tips slightly emerging, forming fringing and barrier reefs. During the 20th century, P. oceanica declined conspicuously in the vicinity of large ports and urbanized areas, particularly in the north-western Mediterranean. The main causes of decline are land reclamation, anchoring, bottom trawling, turbidity and pollution. Artificial sand nourishment of beaches has also been called into question, with sand flowing into the sea, burying and destroying neighbouring meadows. A fringing reef of P. oceanica, located at Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, near the port of Toulon (Provence, France), is severely degraded. Analysis of aerial photos shows that, since the beginning of the 2000s, it has remained stable in some parts or continued to decline in others. This contrasts with the trend towards recovery, observed in France, thanks to e.g., the legally protected status of P. oceanica, and the reduction of pollution and coastal developments. The sand nourishment of the study beach, renewed every year, with the sand being washed or blown very quickly (within a few months) from the beach into the sea, burying the P. oceanica meadow, seems the most likely explanation. Other factors, such as pollution, trampling by beachgoers and overgrazing, may also play a role in the decline. Full article

Archaeological sites located on the edge of growing cities often struggle to reconcile heritage protection with rapid development. To understand this tension, we examined a 50.83 km² zone around the Western Han Imperial Mausoleums in the Qin-Han New District. Using Landsat images from 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022, this study applied supervised classification, land-use transfer matrices, and dynamic-degree analysis to trace three decades of land-use change. From 1992 to 2022, built-up land expanded by 29.85 percentage points, largely replacing farmland, which shrank by 35.64 percentage points and became fragmented. Forest cover gained a modest 5.78 percentage points and migrated eastward toward the mausoleums. Overall, urban growth followed a “spread–integrate–connect” pattern along major roads. This study interprets these trends through five interrelated drivers, including policy, planning, economy, population, and heritage protection, and proposes an integrated management model. The model links archaeological pre-assessment with land-use compatibility zoning and active community participation. Together, these measures offer a practical roadmap for balancing conservation and sustainable land management at imperial burial complexes and similar urban fringe heritage sites. Full article

In mining areas with high groundwater levels, intensive coal mining has led to the accumulation of substantial surface water and significant alterations in regional landscape patterns. Reconstructing the ecological security pattern (ESP) has emerged as a critical focus for ecological restoration in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. This study employed the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model to predict the landscape evolution trend of the study area in 2032 under three scenarios, combining environmental characteristics and disturbance features of coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. In order to determine the differences in ecological network changes within the study area under various development scenarios, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity analysis were employed to identify ecological source areas and establish ecological corridors using circuit theory. Based on the simulation results of the optimal development scenario, potential ecological pinch points and ecological barrier points were further identified. The findings indicate that: (1) land use changes predominantly occur in urban fringe areas and coal mining subsidence areas. In the land reclamation (LR) scenario, the reduction in cultivated land area is minimal, whereas in the economic development (ED) scenario, construction land exhibits a marked increasing trend. Under the natural development (ND) scenario, forest land and water expand most significantly, thereby maximizing ecological space. (2) Under the ND scenario, the number and distribution of ecological source areas and ecological corridors reach their peak, leading to an enhanced ecological network structure that positively contributes to corridor improvement. (3) By comparing the ESP in the ND scenario in 2032 with that in 2022, the number and area of ecological barrier points increase substantially while the number and area of ecological pinch points decrease. These areas should be prioritized for ecological protection and restoration. Based on the scenario simulation results, this study proposes a planning objective for a “one axis, four belts, and four zones” ESP, along with corresponding strategies for ecological protection and restoration. This research provides a crucial foundation for decision-making in enhancing territorial space planning in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. Full article

China’s rapid urbanization has given rise to the phenomenon of “urban villages”, which are often regarded as chaotic fringe areas in traditional studies. With the rise of the concept of resilient cities, the value of urban villages as potential carriers of sustainable development has been re-examined. This study adopted research methods such as field investigations, in-depth interviews, and conceptual sampling. By analyzing the interlinked governance relationship between Xiamen City and the urban villages in the Bay Area, aspects such as rural housing improvement, environmental governance, residents’ feedback, geographical pattern, and spatial production were evaluated. A field investigation was conducted in six urban villages within the four bays of Xiamen. A total of 45 people in the urban villages were interviewed, and the spatial status of the urban villages was recorded. This research found that following: (1) Different types of urban villages have formed significantly differentiated role positionings under the framework of regional governance. Residential community types XA and WL provide long-term and stable living spaces for migrant workers in Xiamen; tourism development types DS, HX, BZ, and HT allow the undertaking of short-term stay tourists and provide tourism services. (2) These urban villages achieve the construction of their resilience through resisting risks, absorbing policy resources, catering to the expansion of urban needs, and co-construction in coordination with planning. The multi-cultural inclusiveness of urban villages and their transformation led by cultural shifts have become the driving force for their sustainable development. Through the above mechanisms, urban villages have become the source of resilience and sustainability of healthy cities and provide a model reference for high-density urban construction. Full article

Rapid urban expansion has led to an increasing number of people relocating to Urban–Rural Fringe Areas (URFAs) in China, with related development placing pressure on ecosystems in these locations. Community parks (CPs) are a key category of urban public park (UPPs) in Chinese planning and play a vital role in improving residents’ quality of life and enhancing regional environment, whilst also promoting sustainable urban development. Consequently, CPs are considered by many to be integral components of “communities” in Chinese cities. Drawing on documentary analysis and field research, this paper explores the socio-economic and ecological values associated with CP investments in URFAs in China. It assesses governmental policies and expert perspectives concerning CPs’ development in URFAs and analyses the factors influencing their planning and delivery. The research highlights how policy and stakeholders’ viewpoints impact the development of sustainable green space in URFAs. To enhance the construction of multi-functional CPs in URFAs, we propose a series of characteristics that need to be considered in future developments, including stakeholder engagement, resident needs, and park design. These insights offer an evidence-based reference for decision-makers, aiming to better meet the requirements of residents and support the development of urban sustainability. Full article

As human activities increasingly encroach on ecologically sensitive lake zones, China’s lake-ring urban agglomerations struggle to balance the intensifying human footprint (HF) and declining habitat quality (EQ). Addressing the spatiotemporal interactions between HF and EQ is essential for achieving human–environment coordination. This study examined five major freshwater lake-ring urban agglomerations in China during the period from 2000 to 2020 and developed an HF–EQ assessment framework. First, the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model quantified the spatiotemporal coupling between HF and EQ. Second, GeoDetector identified how HF and EQ interact to influence CCD. Finally, the four-quadrant static model and CCD change rate index formed a dual-dimensional management framework. The results indicate that the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of HF and EQ are highly complementary, exhibiting a significant coupling interaction. High-CCD zones expanded from lakeside urban areas and transport corridors, while low-CCD zones remained in remote, forested areas. HF factors such as GDP, land use intensity, and nighttime lights dominated CCD dynamics, while EQ-related factors showed increasing interaction effects. Five human–environment coordination zones were identified based on the static and dynamic characteristics of HF and EQ. Synergy efficiency zones had the highest coordination with diverse land use. Ecological conservation potential zones were found in low-disturbance hilly regions. Synergy restoration zones were concentrated in croplands and urban–rural fringe areas. Imbalance regulation zones were in forest areas under development pressure. Conflict alert zones were concentrated in urban cores, transport corridors, and lakeshore belts. These findings offer insights for global human–environment coordination in lake regions. Full article

A key challenge is how to effectively conserve habitats and biodiversity amid widespread habitat fragmentation and loss caused by global urbanization. Despite growing attention to this issue, knowledge of the seasonal dynamics of habitats remains limited, and conservation gaps are still inadequately identified. This study proposes a novel integrated framework, “Habitat Suitability–Risk–Quality”, to improve the assessment of the seasonal bird habitat quality and to identify priority conservation habitats in urban landscapes. The framework was implemented in Wuhan, China, a critical stopover site along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. It combines the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the seasonal habitat suitability, the Habitat Risk Assessment (HRA) model to quantify habitat sensitivity to multiple anthropogenic threats, and a refined Habitat Quality (HQ) model to evaluate the seasonal habitat quality. K-means clustering was then applied to group habitats based on seasonal quality dynamics, enabling the identification of priority areas and the development of differentiated conservation strategies. The results show significant seasonal variation in habitat suitability and quality. Wetlands provided the highest-quality habitats in autumn and winter, grasslands exhibited moderate seasonal quality, and forests showed the least seasonal fluctuation. The spatial analysis revealed that high-quality wetland habitats form an ecological belt along the urban–suburban fringe. Four habitat clusters with distinct seasonal characteristics were then identified. However, spatial mismatches were found between existing protected areas and habitats of high ecological value. Notably, Cluster 1 maintained high habitat quality year round, spanning 99.38 km², yet only 46.51% of its area is currently protected. The remaining 53.16 km², mostly situated in urban–suburban transitional zones, remain unprotected. This study provides valuable insights for identifying priority habitats and developing season-specific conservation strategies in rapidly urbanizing regions, thereby supporting the sustainable management of urban biodiversity and the development of resilient ecological systems. Full article

Citizen science data are easily accessible, which has led to their wide use for scientific data collection such as mapping invasive plant species. However, the crowd-sourced nature of citizen science data has led to criticism over the quality of the data owing to the fragmented spatial distribution of the data collection points. Despite inherent limitations, an increasing collection of research indicates that, when appropriately corrected for data quality issues, the data collected by volunteers can serve as a reliable source for identifying and analysing biodiversity patterns. Prior to utilising citizen science data, it is essential to identify its inherent flaws and limitations to develop appropriate strategies for its effective application. One viable approach to validating such data is to compare it with datasets collected by experts, particularly in urban areas where volunteer participation is high. In our comparative analyses, we evaluated the usability of citizen science data (Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)) for mapping the occurrence density of five invasive plant species (Ailanthus altissima, Asclepias syriaca, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Solidago spp.) in urban cores and fringes in Hungary by comparison to maps obtained from spatially homogeneous data (EUROSTAT Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS)) collected by experts. The results showed that the volunteers collected valuable data on Ailanthus altissima, which is specific to urban areas, but they underestimated Robinia pseudoacacia, which is often planted for economic benefits. In addition, the volunteers collected much more data closer to urban cores. These results suggest that citizen science data may be suitable for mapping urbanophilic species in urban environments. Our research contributes to the assessment and scientific applicability of volunteer-collected data for mapping the distribution of invasive plant species. Full article

Urban forests are very important for the environment and for people, especially in semi-arid cities where there is not much greenery. This makes heat stress worse and makes the city less livable. This paper presents a comprehensive geospatial methodology for selecting afforestation sites in the expanding semi-arid urban area of Şanlıurfa, Turkey, characterized by minimal forest cover, rapid urbanization, and extreme weather conditions. We identified nine ecological and infrastructure criteria using high-resolution Sentinel-2 images and features from the terrain. These criteria include slope, aspect, topography, land surface temperature (LST), solar radiation, flow accumulation, land cover, and proximity to roads and homes. After being normalized to make sure they were ecologically relevant and consistent, all of the datasets were put together into a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tool. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was then used to weight the criteria. A deep learning-based semantic segmentation model was used to create a thorough classification of land cover, primarily to exclude unsuitable areas such as dense urban fabric and water bodies. The final afforestation suitability map showed that 151.33 km² was very suitable and 192.06 km² was suitable, mostly in the northeastern and southeastern urban fringes. This was because the terrain and subclimatic conditions were good. The proposed methodology illustrates that urban green infrastructure planning can be effectively directed within climate adaptation frameworks through the integration of remote sensing and spatial decision-support tools, especially in ecologically sensitive and rapidly urbanizing areas. Full article

High density old districts at the urban fringes of Asian megacities, such as Shenzhen, face significant thermal challenges due to dense building clusters, limited airflow, and heat retention. This study adopts an integrated approach combining Phoenics wind simulation, geographic information system (GIS) modeling, and spatial prototype analysis to assess and optimize the wind and thermal environments in these urban areas. It investigates how spatial configurations, including building density, height distribution, orientation, and green space integration, influence wind flow and thermal comfort. The results demonstrate that optimized spatial arrangements, including reduced building density, height adjustments, and strategic landscape design, improve ventilation and temperature regulation. Comparative analyses of different spatial prototypes reveal that radial configurations effectively channel external winds into the urban core, enhancing internal airflow, whereas rectangular layouts create wind shadows that hinder ventilation. Adjustments to building façades and vertical arrangements further mitigate pedestrian-level heat accumulation. Interventions in public spaces, including green roofs and vertical greening, offer cooling benefits and mitigate urban heat island effects. This study underscores the importance of aligning urban design with natural wind flow and offers a framework for sustainable landscape and architectural strategies in high-density, heat-prone environments. The findings offer valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking sustainable development in similar megacities. Full article

This study employs a multi-model coupling and multi-scenario simulation approach to construct a framework for identifying and optimizing avian ecological corridors in the urban core of Kunming. The framework focuses on the ecological needs of resident birds (64.72%), woodland-dependent birds (39.87%), and low-mobility birds (47.29%) to address habitat fragmentation and enhance urban biodiversity conservation. This study identifies 54 core ecological corridors, totaling 183.58 km, primarily located in forest–urban transition zones. These corridors meet the continuous habitat requirements of resident and woodland-dependent birds, providing a stable environment for species. Additionally, 55 general corridors, spanning 537.30 km, focus on facilitating short-distance movements of low-mobility birds, enhancing habitat connectivity in urban fringe areas through ecological stepping stones. Eighteen ecological pinch points (total area 5.63 km²) play a crucial role in the network. The northern pinch points, dominated by forest land, serve as vital breeding and refuge habitats for woodland-dependent and resident birds. The southern pinch points, located in wetland-forest ecotones, function as critical stopover sites for low-mobility waterbirds. Degradation of these pinch points would significantly reduce available habitat for birds. The 27 ecological barrier points (total area 89.79 km²), characterized by urban land use, severely impede the movement of woodland-dependent birds and increase the migratory energy expenditure of low-mobility birds in agricultural areas. Following optimization, resistance to resident birds in core corridors is significantly reduced, and habitat utilization by generalist species in general corridors is markedly improved. Moreover, multi-scenario optimization measures, including the addition of ecological stepping stones, barrier improvement, and pinch-point protection, have effectively increased ecological sources, met avian habitat requirements, and secured migratory pathways for waterbirds. These measures validate the scientific rationale of a multidimensional management strategy. The comprehensive framework developed in this study, integrating species needs, corridor design, and spatial optimization, provides a replicable model for avian ecological corridor construction in subtropical montane cities. Future research may incorporate bird-tracking technologies to further validate corridor efficacy and explore planning pathways for climate-adaptive corridors. Full article

In recent years, the intense urbanisation processes in Latin American cities have generated fragmented landscapes in the transition zones between urban and rural areas. There is growing interest among urban planners in the delimitation and management of the urban fringe due to the challenges these areas face, including the accelerated conversion of agricultural land, the loss of biodiversity, ecosystem fragmentation, and increasing socioeconomic inequalities resulting from limited regulation in Latin American cities. This study aims to identify criteria for the delimitation of the urban fringe in Latin American cities, oriented toward policy development and the creation of new management tools. A three-stage mixed-method approach was used, i.e., (1) a structured literature review following the PRISMA protocol, identifying 58 criteria from Global South studies, grouped into seven thematic categories; (2) a qualitative analysis using the SMART methodology to identify feasible criteria; and (3) a survey of 19 Latin American experts to prioritise criteria based on data availability and spatial comparability in the region’s cities. The results reveal a growing concern regarding the conceptual development of the urban fringe in Latin America. Methodological gaps persist in the delimitation of these areas. The final catalogue of criteria shows a trend toward measurable and comparable criteria and highlights the need to approach the urban fringe from a multidimensional perspective, which could facilitate its integration into comparative studies at the regional scale. Full article

Global warming has intensified the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, particularly in urban areas, significantly affecting residents’ daily activities. Extant studies have mainly concentrated on the relationship between socio-economic attributes and the impacts of heatwaves on urban populations. However, the relationship between the built environment and the impacts of heatwaves on urban population distribution has not received much attention. Furthermore, most studies have overlooked the temporal heterogeneity in heatwave impacts on population activities and distribution. Therefore, taking the central urban area of Nanchang as the case, this study investigated the impacts of heatwaves on population distribution and their temporal heterogeneity. Moreover, it identified the nonlinear relationships between built environment factors and population changes during heatwaves by using the XGBoost model and SHAP method. The results revealed that heatwaves exerted the largest impacts on population distribution during weekend nights, followed by weekend daytime and weekday nighttime, with the least impacts observed during weekday daytime. Furthermore, location and transportation factors significantly affected population changes during heatwaves across most time periods, with their influences being associated with policy factors such as the high-temperature leave policy for workers in industrial zones located in urban fringe areas and the cooling zone establishment policy for citizens in subway stations. Moreover, land use and building form factors exhibited significant temporal heterogeneity in their impacts on population changes during heatwaves. This temporal heterogeneity was fundamentally driven by individuals’ heat adaptation behaviors, the spatiotemporal patterns of their daily activities, and the diurnal variations in the built environment’s influence on local thermal environment. These findings provide valuable insights to proactively alleviate the adverse impacts of heatwaves. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between Green View Index (GVI) and street thermal environment in Hangzhou’s main urban area during summer, quantifying urban greenery’s impact on diurnal/nocturnal thermal conditions to inform urban heat island mitigation strategies. Multi-source data (3D morphological metrics, LCZ classifications, mobile measurements) were integrated with deep learning-derived street-level GVI through image analysis. A random forest-multiple regression hybrid model evaluated spatiotemporal variations and GVI impacts across time, street orientation, and urban-rural gradients. Key findings include: (1) Urban street Ta prediction model: Daytime model: R² = 0.54, RMSE = 0.33 °C; Nighttime model: R² = 0.71, RMSE = 0.42 °C. (2) GVI shows significant inverse association with temperature, A 0.1 unit increase in GVI reduced temperatures by 0.124°C during the day and 0.020 °C at night. (3) Orientation effects: North–south streets exhibit strongest cooling (1.85 °C daytime reduction), followed by east–west; northeast–southwest layouts show negligible impact; (4) Canyon geometry: Low-aspect canyons (H/W < 1) enhance cooling efficiency, while high-aspect canyons (H/W > 2) retain nocturnal heat despite daytime cooling; (5) Urban-rural gradient: Cooling peaks in urban-fringe zones (10–15 km daytime, 15–20 km nighttime), contrasting with persistent nocturnal warmth in urban cores (0–5 km); (6) LCZ variability: Daytime cooling intensity peaks in LCZ3, nighttime in LCZ6. These findings offer scientific evidence and empirical support for urban thermal environment optimization strategies in urban planning and landscape design. We recommend dynamic coupling of street orientation, three-dimensional morphological characteristics, and vegetation configuration parameters to formulate differentiated thermal environment design guidelines, enabling precise alignment between mitigation measures and spatial context-specific features. Full article

Urban green spaces face increasing pressure to reconcile ecological conservation with rising public demand as urbanization accelerates. Yet the spatial coupling of human needs and natural provisioning in the urban–rural fringe remains insufficiently understood. Focusing on the country park cluster in Beijing’s Huitian region, this study develops an integrated assessment framework—combining ecological importance, ecological connectivity potential, construction suitability, and recreational demand—to evaluate nature suitability and pinpoint spatial mismatches in human–nature interactions. Ecological importance is quantified through ecological sensitivity analysis and InVEST-based habitat-quality modeling, while ecological connectivity potential is estimated via normalized least-cost corridor analysis. Construction suitability is derived from the proportion of artificial surfaces and road network density, and recreational demand is measured by population concentration, facility density, and transport accessibility. These metrics are synthesized to map nature-suitability patterns and reveal divergences between human demand and ecological provisioning. The results show a pronounced north–south gradient in ecological importance, with Dongxiaokou Ditch and Dongxiaokou Forest Park emerging as ecological hotspots. Nineteen ecological source patches are identified, with the strongest connectivity in the southern sector of Dongxiaokou Forest Park. Areas of high construction suitability coincide with well-developed infrastructure, whereas recreational demand clusters around Tiantongyuan and Beiqing Road. Natural and artificial elements intertwine to form an ecological core of 870.74 hm², yet 13.29% of the study area exhibits mismatches—particularly residential zones lacking green-space access. Over-development within Dongxiaokou Urban Recreation Park likewise falls short of ecological expectations. The study offers targeted recommendations—ecological protection, facility optimization, green-space enhancement, and the integration of multifunctional green infrastructure—and provides a transferable framework for coordinating human and natural systems in other urban–rural fringe contexts. Full article