Assessing the Impact of Urban Expansion on Surrounding Forested Landscape Connectivity across Space and Time

Landscape connectivity is important for all organisms as it directly affects population dynamics. Yet, rapid urbanization has caused serious landscape fragmentation, which is the primary contributor of species extinctions worldwide. Previous studies have mostly used spatial snap-shots to evaluate the impact of urban expansion on landscape connectivity. However, the interactions among habitats over time in dynamic landscapes have been largely ignored. Here, we demonstrated that overlooking temporal connectivity can lead to the overestimation of the impact of urban expansion. How much greater the overestimation is depends on the amount of net habitat loss. Moreover, we showed that landscape connectivity may have a delayed response to urban expansion. Our analysis shifts the way to understand the ecological consequences of urban expansion. Our framework can guide sustainable urban development and can be inspiring to conservation practices under other contexts (e.g., climate change).

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Sources of and Control Measures for PTE Pollution in Soil at the Urban Fringe in Weinan, China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10070762 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 762

Author(s):

Lei Han ◽

Rui Chen ◽

Zhao Liu ◽

Shanshan Chang ◽

Yonghua Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Pollution Sources ◽

Urban Fringe ◽

Control Measures ◽

Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry ◽

Human Beings ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Kriging Interpolation Method ◽

The Impact

The environment of the urban fringe is complex and frangible. With the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, the urban fringe has become the primary space for urban expansion, and the intense human activities create a high risk of potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution in the soil. In this study, 138 surface soil samples were collected from a region undergoing rapid urbanization and construction—Weinan, China. Concentrations of As, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, ICP-MS) and Hg (Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry, AFS) were measured. The Kriging interpolation method was used to create a visualization of the spatial distribution characteristics and to analyze the pollution sources of PTEs in the soil. The pollution status of PTEs in the soil was evaluated using the national environmental quality standards for soils in different types of land use. The results show that the content range of As fluctuated a small amount and the coefficient of variation is small and mainly comes from natural soil formation. The content of Cr, Cu, and Ni around the automobile repair factory, the prefabrication factory, and the building material factory increased due to the deposition of wear particles in the soil. A total of 13.99% of the land in the study area had Hg pollution, which was mainly distributed on category 1 development land and farmland. Chemical plants were the main pollution sources. The study area should strictly control the industrial pollution emissions, regulate the agricultural production, adjust the land use planning, and reduce the impact of pollution on human beings. Furthermore, we make targeted remediation suggestions for each specific land use type. These results are of theoretical significance, will be of practical value for the control of PTEs in soil, and will provide ecological environmental protection in the urban fringe throughout the urbanization process.

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The impact of urbanization expansion on agricultural land in Ethiopia: A review

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies ◽

10.2478/environ-2020-0024 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 73-80

Author(s):

Assefa Ayele ◽

Kassa Tarekegn

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Rural Livelihoods ◽

Vital Role ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Economic Resource ◽

House Construction ◽

Impact Of Urbanization ◽

The Impact

AbstractIn a country like Ethiopia where the vast majority of the populations are employed in agriculture, land is an important economic resource for the development of rural livelihoods. Agricultural land in peri-urban areas is, however, transformed into built-up regions through horizontal urban expansion that has an effect on land use value. In recent years Ethiopia has been experiencing rapid urbanization, which has led to an ever-increasing demand for land in peri-urban areas for housing and other nonagricultural activities that pervades agricultural land. There is a high demand for informal and illegal peri-urban land which has been held by peri-urban farmers, and this plays a vital role in the unauthorized and sub-standard house construction on agricultural land. This urbanization has not been extensively reviewed and documented. In this review an attempt has been made to assess the impacts of rapid urbanization on agricultural activities. Urban expansion has reduced the areas available for agriculture, which has seriously impacted upon peri-urban farmers that are often left with little or no land to cultivate and which has increased their vulnerability. Housing encroachments have been observed to be uncontrolled due to a weak government response to the trend of unplanned city expansion. This has left peri-urban farmers exposed to the negative shocks of urbanization because significant urbanization-related agricultural land loss has a positive correlation with grain production decrease. Appropriate governing bodies should control urban development in order to control the illegal and informal spread of urbanization on agricultural land that threatens food production.

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RS and GIS Supported Urban LULC and UHI Change Simulation and Assessment

Journal of Sensors ◽

10.1155/2020/5863164 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Pei Liu ◽

Shoujun Jia ◽

Ruimei Han ◽

Yuanping Liu ◽

Xiaofeng Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Surface ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Dynamic Change ◽

Urban Sustainability ◽

Remotely Sensed Data ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Urban Heat ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact

Rapid urbanization has become a major urban sustainability concern due to environmental impacts, such as the development of urban heat island (UHI) and the reduction of urban security states. To date, most research on urban sustainability development has focused on dynamic change monitoring or UHI state characterization, while there is little literature on UHI change analysis. In addition, there has been little research on the impact of land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) on UHI, especially simulates future trends of LULCCs, UHI change, and dynamic relationship of LULCCs and UHI. The purpose of this research is to design a remote sensing-based framework that investigates and analyzes how the LULCCs in the process of urbanization affected thermal environment. In order to assess and predict the impact of LULCCs on urban heat environment, multitemporal remotely sensed data from 1986 to 2016 were selected as source data, and Geographic Information System (GIS) methods such as the CA-Markov model were employed to construct the proposed framework. The results showed that (1) there has been a substantial strength of urban expansion during the 40-year study period, (2) the farthest distance urban center of gravity moves from north-northeast (NEE) to west-southwest (WSW) direction, (3) the dominate temperature was middle level, sub-high level, and high level in the research area, (4) there was a higher changing frequency and range from east to west, and (5) there was a significant negative correlation between land surface temperature and vegetation and significant positive correlation between temperature and human settlement.

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Supporting Adaptive Connectivity in Dynamic Landscapes

Land ◽

10.3390/land9090295 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 295 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Megan K. Jennings ◽

Katherine A. Zeller ◽

Rebecca L. Lewison

Keyword(s):

Protected Area ◽

Landscape Connectivity ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Area Network ◽

Landscape Conservation ◽

Landscape Resistance ◽

Adaptive Planning ◽

Dynamic Landscapes ◽

Over Time

A central tenet of landscape conservation planning is that natural communities can be supported by a connected landscape network that supports many species and habitat types. However, as the planning environment, ecological conditions, and risks and stressors change over time, the areas needed to support landscape connectivity may also shift. We demonstrate an approach designed to assess functional and structural connectivity of an established protected area network that has experienced landscape and planning changes over time. Here we present an approach designed to inform adaptive planning for connectivity with a complementary suite of analytical techniques. Using existing occurrence, movement, and genetic data for six focal species, we create a spatially explicit connectivity assessment based on landscape resistance, paired with a landscape feature geodiversity analysis. Although factors such as cost, conservation goals, and land management strategies must be taken into account, this approach provides a template for leveraging available empirical data and robust analyses to evaluate and adapt planning for protected area networks that can preserve and promote both functional and structural connectivity in dynamic landscapes.

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Scenario Analysis on Climate Change Impacts of Urban Land Expansion under Different Urbanization Patterns: A Case Study of Wuhan Metropolitan

Advances in Meteorology ◽

10.1155/2013/293636 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Xinli Ke ◽

Feng Wu ◽

Caixue Ma

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Urban Land ◽

Urban Land Use ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Urban Land Expansion ◽

The Impact

Urban land expansion plays an important role in climate change. It is significant to select a reasonable urban expansion pattern to mitigate the impact of urban land expansion on the regional climate in the rapid urbanization process. In this paper, taking Wuhan metropolitan as the case study area, and three urbanization patterns scenarios are designed to simulate spatial patterns of urban land expansion in the future using the Partitioned and Asynchronous Cellular Automata Model. Then, simulation results of land use are adjusted and inputted into WRF (Weather Research and Forecast) model to simulate regional climate change. The results show that: (1) warming effect is strongest under centralized urbanization while it is on the opposite under decentralized scenario; (2) the warming effect is stronger and wider in centralized urbanization scenario than in decentralized urbanization scenario; (3) the impact trends of urban land use expansion on precipitation are basically the same under different scenarios; (4) and spatial distribution of rainfall was more concentrated under centralized urbanization scenario, and there is a rainfall center of wider scope, greater intensity. Accordingly, it can be concluded that decentralized urbanization is a reasonable urbanization pattern to mitigate climate change in rapid urbanization period.

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Comprehensive Assessment of the Effect of Urban Built-Up Land Expansion and Climate Change on Net Primary Productivity

Complexity ◽

10.1155/2020/8489025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Pengyan Zhang ◽

Yanyan Li ◽

Wenlong Jing ◽

Dan Yang ◽

Yu Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Primary Productivity ◽

Net Primary Productivity ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Important Indicator ◽

The Impact

Urbanization is causing profound changes in ecosystem functions at local and regional scales. The net primary productivity (NPP) is an important indicator of global change, rapid urbanization and climate change will have a significant impact on NPP, and urban expansion and climate change in different regions have different impacts on NPP, especially in densely populated areas. However, to date, efforts to quantify urban expansion and climate change have been limited, and the impact of long-term continuous changes in NPP has not been well understood. Based on land use data, night light data, NPP data, climate data, and a series of social and economic data, we performed a comprehensive analysis of land use change in terms of type and intensity and explored the pattern of urban expansion and its relationship with NPP and climate change for the period of 2000–2015, taking Zhengzhou, China, as an example. The results show that the major form of land use change was cropland to built-up land during the 2000–2015 period, with a total area of 367.51 km2 converted. The NPP exhibited a generally increasing trend in the study area except for built-up land and water area. The average correlation coefficients between temperature and NPP and precipitation and NPP were 0.267 and 0.020, respectively, indicating that an increase in temperature and precipitation can promote NPP despite significant spatial differences. During the examined period, most expansion areas exhibited an increasing NPP trend, indicating that the influence of urban expansion on NPP is mainly characterized by an evident influence of the expansion area. The study can provide a reference for Zhengzhou and even the world's practical research to improve land use efficiency, increase agricultural productivity and natural carbon sinks, and maintain low-carbon development.

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Integrating Data-Driven and Participatory Modeling to Simulate Future Urban Growth Scenarios: Findings from Monastir, Tunisia

Urban Science ◽

10.3390/urbansci4010010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 10

Author(s):

Mostapha Harb ◽

Matthias Garschagen ◽

Davide Cotti ◽

Elke Krätzschmar ◽

Hayet Baccouche ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Growth ◽

Local Governments ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Sustainable Urban Development ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Participatory Modeling ◽

Urban Growth Scenarios ◽

Business As Usual ◽

The City

Current rapid urbanization trends in developing countries present considerable challenges to local governments, potentially hindering efforts towards sustainable urban development. To effectively anticipate the challenges posed by urbanization, participatory modeling techniques can help to stimulate future-oriented decision-making by exploring alternative development scenarios. With the example of the coastal city of Monastir, we present the results of an integrated urban growth analysis that combines the SLEUTH (slope, land use, exclusion, urban extent, transportation, and hill shade) cellular automata model with qualitative inputs from relevant local stakeholders to simulate urban growth until 2030. While historical time-series of Landsat data fed a business-as-usual prediction, the quantification of narrative storylines derived from participatory scenario workshops enabled the creation of four additional urban growth scenarios. Results show that the growth of the city will occur at different rates under all scenarios. Both the “business-as-usual” (BaU) prediction and the four scenarios revealed that urban expansion is expected to further encroach on agricultural land by 2030. The various scenarios suggest that Monastir will expand between 127–149 hectares. The information provided here goes beyond simply projecting past trends, giving decision-makers the necessary support for both understanding possible future urban expansion pathways and proactively managing the future growth of the city.

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Impacts of Urbanization on the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka: Implications for Landscape Planning towards a Sustainable Urban Wetland Ecosystem

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13020316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 316

Author(s):

Darshana Athukorala ◽

Ronald C. Estoque ◽

Yuji Murayama ◽

Bunkei Matsushita

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Landscape Planning ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Landscape Fragmentation ◽

Landscape Composition ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Wetland Ecosystems ◽

Urban Wetland

Urban wetland ecosystems (UWEs) play important social and ecological roles but are often adversely affected by urban landscape transformations. Spatio-temporal analyses to gain insights into the trajectories of landscape changes in these ecosystems are needed for better landscape planning towards sustainable UWEs. In this study, we examined the impacts of urbanization on the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon (MMNL), an important UWE in Sri Lanka that provides valuable ecosystem services. We used remote sensing data to detect changes in the land use/cover (LUC) of the MMNL over a two-decade period (1997–2017) and spatial metrics to characterize changes in landscape composition and configuration. The results revealed that the spatial and socio-economic elements of rapid urbanization of the MMNL had been the main driver of transformation of its natural environment over the past 20 years. This is indicated by a substantial expansion of settlements (+68%) and a considerable decrease of marshland and mangrove cover (−41% and −21%, respectively). A statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the change in population density and the loss of wetland due to settlement expansion at the Grama Niladhari division level (n = 99) (where wetland includes marshland, mangrove, and water) (1997–2007: R2 = 0.435, p = 0.000; 2007–2017: R2 = 0.343, p = 0.000). The findings also revealed that most of the observed LUC changes occurred in areas close to roads and growth nodes (viz. Negombo, Ja-Ela, Wattala, and Katana), which resulted in both landscape fragmentation and infill urban expansion. We conclude that, in order to ensure the sustainability of the MMNL, there is an urgent need for forward-looking landscape and urban planning to promote environmentally conscious urban development in the area which is a highly valuable UWE.

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Past and Future Trajectories of Farmland Loss Due to Rapid Urbanization Using Landsat Imagery and the Markov-CA Model: A Case Study of Delhi, India

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs11020180 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 180 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Junmei Tang ◽

Liping Di

Keyword(s):

Transition Probabilities ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Sustainable Urban Development ◽

Landsat Images ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

The Past ◽

Farmland Loss ◽

Rate Of Increase ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

Ca Model

This study integrated multi-temporal Landsat images, the Markov-Cellular Automation (CA) model, and socioeconomic factors to analyze the historical and future farmland loss in the Delhi metropolitan area, one of the most rapidly urbanized areas in the world. Accordingly, the major objectives of this study were: (1) to classify the land use and land cover (LULC) map using multi-temporal Landsat images from 1994 to 2014; (2) to develop and calibrate the Markov-CA model based on the Markov transition probabilities of LULC classes, the CA diffusion factor, and other ancillary factors; and (3) to analyze and compare the past loss of farmland and predict the future loss of farmland in relation to rapid urban expansion from the year 1995 to 2030. The predicted results indicated the high accuracy of the Markov-CA model, with an overall accuracy of 0.75 and Kappa value of 0.59. The predicted results showed that urban expansion is likely to continue to the year of 2030, though the rate of increase will slow down from the year 2020. The area of farmland has decreased and will continue to decrease at a relatively stable rate. The Markov-CA model provided a better understanding of the past, current, and future trends of LULC change, with farmland loss being a typical change in this region. The predicted result will help planners to develop suitable government policies to guide sustainable urban development in Delhi, India.

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Analyzing Urban Growth Pattern and Driving Factors Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of Banepa Municipality, Nepal

Journal on Geoinformatics, Nepal ◽

10.3126/njg.v20i1.39471 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 9-18

Author(s):

Rabina Twayana ◽

Sijan Bhandari ◽

Reshma Shrestha

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Land Use ◽

Urban Growth ◽

Growth Pattern ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Urban Expansion ◽

Urban Land ◽

Driving Factors ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

The Impact

Nepal is considered one of the rapidly urbanizing countries in south Asia. Most of the urbanization is dominated in large and medium cities i.e., metropolitan, sub-metropolitan, and municipalities. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies in the sector of urban land governance are growing day by day due to their capability of mapping, analyzing, detecting changes, etc. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the urban growth pattern in Banepa Municipality during three decades (1992-2020) using freely available Landsat imageries and explore driving factors for change in the urban landscape using the AHP model. The Banepa municipality is taken as a study area as it is one of the growing urban municipalities in the context of Nepal. The supervised image classification was applied to classify the acquired satellite image data. The generated results from this study illustrate that urbanization is gradually increasing from 1992 to 2012 while, majority of the urban expansion happened during 2012-2020, and it is still growing rapidly along the major roads in a concentric pattern. This study also demonstrates the responsible driving factors for continuous urban growth during the study period. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to analyze the impact of drivers which reveals that, Internal migration (57%) is major drivers for change in urban dynamics whereas, commercialization (25%), population density (16%), and real estate business (5%) are other respective drivers for alteration of urban land inside the municipality. To prevent rapid urbanization in this municipality, the concerned authorities must take initiative for proper land use planning and its implementation on time. Recently, Nepal Government has endorsed Land Use Act 2019 for preventing the conversion of agricultural land into haphazard urban growth.

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