Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial grain size effects of landscape metrics in different gradients of coastal areas

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Tropical Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As an essential object of regional development and utilization, the coastal area was affected by the increasing human activities, resulting in a profound impact on the coastal landscape. However, how landscape metrics respond to increasing spatial grain size in coastal areas remains unclear. Therefore, four gradients are divided according to the distance from the coastline, and 16 landscape metrics are introduced in this study. The spatial grain size effects of multiple landscape metrics in different gradients of coastal areas were analyzed using the methods of change trend analysis, variation coefficient, and Fragstats model. It was revealed that apart from the diversity metrics, the responses of the density metrics, area and edge metrics, shape metrics, and distribution metrics to increasing grain size were highlighted in coastal areas. There were significant differences in spatial grain size effects of landscape metrics in different gradients of coastal areas. The sensitivity of most landscape metrics to increasing grain size in gradient I the (region near the coastline) was evidently higher than that of other gradients (regions far away from the coastline). Furthermore, the composition, proportion, and distribution of landscapes in different gradients of coastal areas under the influence of human activities are crucial factors influencing the grain size effects of landscape metrics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alhamad MN, Alrababah MA, Feagin RA, Gharaibeh A (2011) Mediterranean drylands: the effect of grain size and domain of scale on landscape metrics. Ecol Ind 11:611–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alphan H (2021) Multi-temporal analysis of urbanisation patterns as coastal development indicators: Eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Ecol Ind 121:106994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buyantuyev A, Wu JG (2007) Effects of thematic resolution on landscape pattern analysis. Landscape Ecol 22:7–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chi Y, Shi HH, Zheng W, Wang EK (2018) Archipelagic landscape patterns and their ecological effects in multiple scales. Ocean Coast Manag 152:120–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Estell RE, Fredrickson EL, Peters DPC (2006) Introduction to special issue—landscape linkages and cross-scale interactions in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. J Arid Environ 65:193–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan Q, Ding S (2016) Landscape pattern changes at a county scale: A case study in Fengqiu, Henan Province, China from 1990 to 2013. CATENA 137:152–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan M, Wang QH, Mi K, Peng Y (2017) Scale-dependent effects of landscape pattern on plant diversity in Hunshandak Sandland. Biodivers Conserv 26:2169–2185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang S, Zhao YH, Han L, Ma CQ (2017) Analysis of landscape patterns of arid valleys in China, based on grain size effect. Sustainability 9:2263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng YL, Liu Y, Tong XH (2018) Spatiotemporal variation of landscape patterns and their spatial determinants in Shanghai, China. Ecol Ind 87:22–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foelske L, van Riper CJ (2020) Assessing spatial preference heterogeneity in a mixed-use landscape. Appl Geogr 125:102355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu BJ, Hu CX, Chen LD, Honnay O, Gulinck H (2006) Evaluating change in agricultural landscape pattern between 1980 and 2000 in the Loess hilly region of Ansai County, China. Agr Ecosyst Environ 114:387–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gond V, Freycon V, Molino JF, Brunaux O, Ingrassia F, Joubert P, Pekel JF, Prévost MF, Thierron V, Trombe PJ, Sabatier D (2011) Broad-scale spatial pattern of forest landscape types in the Guiana Shield. Int J Appl Earth Obs Geoinf 13:357–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzales-Inca CA, Kalliola R, Kirkkala T, Lepistö A (2015) Multiscale landscape pattern affecting on stream water quality in agricultural watershed, SW Finland. Water Resour Manage 29:1669–1682

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han HQ, Ma SL, Chen SY, Long CQ, Xu J (2020) Granularity effect of land use landscape in Karst villages. Areal Research and Development 39:127–133 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Koç A, Yılmaz S (2020) Landscape character analysis and assessment at the lower basin-scale. Appl Geogr 125:102359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li QW, Jin TT, Peng QD, Lin JQ, Zhang D, Huang JT, Liu BY (2022) Identifying the extent of the spatial expression of landscape fragmentation based on scale effect analysis in Southwest China. Ecol Ind 141:109120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu SL, Yin YJ, Li JR, Cheng FY, Dong SK, Zhang YQ (2018) Using cross-scale landscape connectivity indices to identify key habitat resource patches for Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna, China. Landsc Urban Plan 171:80–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pekin BK (2016) Anthropogenic and topographic correlates of natural vegetation cover within agricultural landscape mosaics in Turkey. Land Use Policy 54:313–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Provoost S, Jones MLM, Edmondson SE (2011) Changes in landscape and vegetation of coastal dunes in northwest Europe: a review. J Coast Conserv 15:207–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen WJ, Wu JG, Lin YB, Ren H, Li QF (2003) Effects of changing grain size on landscape pattern analysis. Acta Ecol Sin 23:2506–2519 ((In Chinese))

    Google Scholar 

  • Snell RS, Peringer A, Bugmann H (2017) Integrating models across temporal and spatial scales to simulate landscape patterns and dynamics in mountain pasture-woodlands. Landscape Ecol 32:1079–1096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solé-Senan XO, Juárez-Escario A, Conesa JA, Recasens J (2018) Plant species, functional assemblages and partitioning of diversity in a Mediterranean agricultural mosaic landscape. Agr Ecosyst Environ 256:163–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang JX, Li YM, Cui SH, Xu LL, Ding SP, Nie W (2020) Linking land-use change, landscape patterns, and ecosystem services in a coastal watershed of southeastern China. Glob Ecol Conserv 23:e01177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teng MJ, Zeng LX, Zhou ZX, Wang PC, Xiao WF, Dian YY (2016) Responses of landscape metrics to altering grain size in the Three Gorges Reservoir landscape in China. Environ Earth Sci 75:1055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uuemaa E, Roosaare J, Mander Ü (2005) Scale dependence of landscape metrics and their indicatory value for nutrient and organic matter losses from catchments. Ecol Ind 5:350–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walters S (2007) Modeling scale-dependent landscape pattern, dispersal, and connectivity from the perspective of the organism. Landscape Ecol 22:867–881

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiens JA (1989) Spatial scaling in ecology. Funct Ecol 3:385–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu JG (2004) Effects of changing scale on landscape pattern analysis: scaling relations. Landscape Ecol 19:125–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu JG (2007) Landscape ecology-pattern, process, scale and hierarchy, 2nd edn. Higher Education Press, Beijing, pp 17–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu J, Lu W, Li M (2020) A DEA-based improvement of China’s green development from the perspective of resource reallocation. Sci Total Environ 717:137106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yue HB, Huang QX, He CY, Zhang XL, Fang ZH (2020) Spatiotemporal patterns of global air pollution: A multi-scale landscape analysis based on dust and sea-salt removed PM2.5 data. J Cleaner Prod 252:119887

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W, Zhang JL (2021) Scaling effects on landscape metrics in alpine meadow on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Glob Ecol Conserv 29:e01742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang M, Wang JM, Li SJ, Feng DR, Cao EL (2020a) Dynamic changes in landscape pattern in a large-scale opencast coal mine area from 1986 to 2015: a complex network approach. CATENA 194:104738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q, Chen CL, Wang JZ, Yang DY, Zhang YE, Wang ZF, Gao M (2020b) The spatial granularity effect, changing landscape patterns, and suitable landscape metrics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, 1995–2015. Ecol Ind 114:106259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou YK, Ning LX, Bai XL (2018) Spatial and temporal changes of human disturbances and their effects on landscape patterns in the Jiangsu coastal zone, China. Ecol Ind 93:111–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu M, Xu JG, Jiang N, Li JL, Fan YM (2006) Impacts of road corridors on urban landscape pattern: a gradient analysis with changing grain size in Shanghai, China. Landscape Ecol 21:723–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by grants from the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province ([2020]1Y152) and Natural Science Research Project of Education Department of Guizhou Province (KY[2021]075).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang, 550003, People’s Republic of China

    Yingjia Zhang, Huiqing Han & Yue Liu

Authors
  1. Yingjia Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huiqing Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yue Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huiqing Han.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOC 52347 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, Y., Han, H. & Liu, Y. Spatial grain size effects of landscape metrics in different gradients of coastal areas. Trop Ecol 64, 579–600 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-022-00284-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-022-00284-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation