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Spatial pattern of the effects of human activities on the land surface of China and their spatial relationship with the natural environment

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A Correction to this article was published on 25 October 2021

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Abstract

The human–land relationship changes with the development of human society. In the contemporary context in which human activities dominate this relationship, revealing the spatial correlation between human activities and the natural environment provides a bridge to understanding and coordinating the human–land relationship. Currently, it is important to maintain the balance between humans and the environment. To measure the role of human activities in this relationship, this study took China as an example to explore spatial patterns through an indicator system and wavelet analysis at the city level in 2015, and a spatial deviation model to depict the relationship. The study revealed the following results: (1) The spatial pattern of human activity effects was bounded by the Hu Huanyong Line: The west side is a low-intensity area, and the east side was a medium- to high-intensity concentrated distribution area. The human activity scale was decreasing in the east, central area and west; the human activity structure declines from the metropolitan area to the core edge; and the high-value area of human activity is distributed as scattered points with the metropolitan area as the core. (2) Wavelet analysis results revealed that the spatial heterogeneity of each area on the east side of the Hu Huanyong Line showed the pattern of east > central > southwest > northeast, which indicates that the effects of human activities in the northeast are weakening, while those in the southwest are strengthening. Human activity effects on the east side of the Hu Huanyong Line had multiscale features, with the main characteristic scales being 60,000 km2, 150,000 km2, 300,000 km2 and 600,000 km2, which roughly corresponded to multiple cities, provinces, urban agglomerations and regions, respectively. (3) The overall pattern of the relationship between human activities and the natural environment was more consistent. The spatial deviation showed that the 500 m altitude contour < the 800 mm precipitation contour < the 1500 m altitude contour < the 0 °C temperature contour. These findings revealed that human activities were more inclined to agglomerate in areas with low altitude and high precipitation. The research framework used here can provide suggestions and methods for quantitative research on the human–land relationship, and the research results can provide useful information for sustainable development and construction of an ecological civilization.

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Funding

The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41671179).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, Analysis and Simulation of Geographic Process, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Shuling Hu, Bin Yu, Shen Luo & Rongrong Zhuo

  2. College of Tourism and Culture Industry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Shuling Hu

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  1. Shuling Hu
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  2. Bin Yu
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Correspondence to Bin Yu.

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Hu, S., Yu, B., Luo, S. et al. Spatial pattern of the effects of human activities on the land surface of China and their spatial relationship with the natural environment. Environ Dev Sustain 24, 10379–10401 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01871-6

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