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A gradient analysis on urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern between 1985 and 2000 in the Pearl River Delta, China

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Abstract

Urbanization is an irreversible trend worldwide, especially in rapidly developing China. Accelerated urbanization has resulted in rapid urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern changes. Quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban land use and landscape pattern not only can reveal the characteristics of social transfer and economic development, but also can provide insights into the driving mechanisms of land use changes. In this study, we integrated remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), landscape metrics, and gradient analysis to quantitatively compare the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use, urban sprawl, and landscape pattern for nine cities in the Pearl River Delta from 1985‒2000. For the whole study region, urbanization was obvious. The results show an increase in urban buildup land and shrinkage of cropland in the Pearl River Delta. However, the nine cities differed greatly in terms of the process and magnitude of urban sprawl for both the spatial and temporal dimensions. This was most evident for the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Gradient analysis on urban landscape changes could deepen understanding of the stages of urban development and provide a scientific foundation for future urban planning and land management strategies in China.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2015CB452702), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41571098, 41530749, and 41371196), Key Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ZDRW-ZS- 2016-6-4) and A Major Consulting Project of Strategic Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. Y02015003). There is no conflict of interest in this manuscript. We gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for spending their valuable time and providing constructive comments and suggestions on this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Erfu Dai & Zhuo Wu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Erfu Dai & Zhuo Wu

  3. Beijing No.65 Middle School, Beijing, 100006, China

    Xiaodian Du

Authors
  1. Erfu Dai
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  2. Zhuo Wu
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  3. Xiaodian Du
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhuo Wu.

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Erfu Dai received the Ph.D. degree in geography from Peking University, China in 2002. He is currently a Professor of Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests include comprehensive study of physical geography, climate change and regional response, and LUCC (Land Use/Cover Change) modelling. His recent research projects have been funded by National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), National Natural Science Foundation of China and National Key Technology R&D Program. Prof. Dai is the Member of IGU/ LUCC commission, Member of AAG (Association of American Geographers), Member of the Geographical Society of China, and Member of China Society of Natural Resources. He won the tenth National Youth Science and Technology Award for Geography. E-mail: daief@igsnrr.ac.cn

Zhuo Wu received the M. S. degree in geography from Capital Normal University, China in 2014. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research interests focus on land use and ecological process response. E-mail: wuz.14b@igsnrr.ac.cn

Xiaodian Du received the M. S. degree in geography from Capital Normal University, China in 2011. Her research interests include land use change and landscape pattern research. E-mail: duxiaodian_china@163.com

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Dai, E., Wu, Z. & Du, X. A gradient analysis on urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern between 1985 and 2000 in the Pearl River Delta, China. Front. Earth Sci. 12, 791–807 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-017-0637-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-017-0637-0

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