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Identifying Terrestrial Landscape Character Types in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yulian Pan

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
    Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan 430070, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yunong Wu

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
    Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan 430070, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Xi Xu

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
    Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Bin Zhang

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
    Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture in Central China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Weifu Li

    (College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China)

Abstract

Landscape character assessment (LCA) is a widely used tool that integrates natural, cultural, and perceptual attributes to identify and portray landscape. In this study, we used the LCA method to identify the landscape characteristics of China at the national scale. Furthermore, we applied cultural and landscape structural factors along with spatial transmission to improve the identification system. First, we incorporated all the parameters in the assessment. We selected 15 landscape character factors from four factor types including nature, culture, spatial geographic co-ordinates, and landscape structure. These parameters were analysed using multilevel overlay and spatial connection tools in ArcGis 10.2, which resulted in 2307 landscape description units (LDUs). Second, the spatial structure properties of the LDUs were determined using a semivariogram and the moving window method in ArcGis 10.2 and Fragstats 4.2 software, respectively. Third, for visualisation, we applied the principal component analysis (PCA) using the SPSS software and elbow and k-means clustering methods using MATLAB to determine 110 landscape character types (LCTs) of China’s entire terrestrial landscape. Finally, we determined 1483 landscape character areas through semiautomatic segmentation and manual visual correction using eCognition. Based on the unique characteristics of the entire terrestrial landscape of China, a set of ideas and methods for the overall identification of LCTs was proposed. Our findings can be used to optimise territorial spatial planning and landscape protection and management, and promote multiscale land-use studies in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Yulian Pan & Yunong Wu & Xi Xu & Bin Zhang & Weifu Li, 2022. "Identifying Terrestrial Landscape Character Types in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:7:p:1014-:d:855268
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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