IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i3p538-d1605346.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of Landscape Fragmentation Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors in the Wei River Basin, China

Author

Listed:
  • Changzheng Gao

    (School of Architecture, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Qisen Dang

    (School of Architecture, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Chu Li

    (School of Architecture, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Yongming Fan

    (School of Architecture, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

Abstract

Historically, the Wei River has served as part of the Yongji Canal section of the Grand Canal, playing a crucial role in connecting northern and southern China. However, with the acceleration of urbanization in China, issues such as excessive land development and ecological landscape fragmentation have emerged. Exploring the mechanisms of landscape fragmentation evolution in the Wei River basin and proposing optimization strategies is of significant importance for land use and ecological stability within small- to medium-sized river basins. This study selected land use data from the Weihe River basin between 2000 and 2020, using landscape pattern indices to analyze the trend of landscape fragmentation. The principal component analysis (PCA) and geographical detector methods were employed to explore the distribution characteristics and driving factors of landscape fragmentation. The research results indicate that: (1) The degree of landscape fragmentation in the Wei River basin has progressively intensified over time. The edge density index (ED), the landscape division index (DIVISION), the landscape shape index (LSI), and the Shannon diversity index (SHDI) have increased annually, while the contagion index (CONTAG) and area-weighted mean patch size (Area_AM) have continuously decreased; (2) Landscape fragmentation in the Wei River basin is characterized by stable changes in the source and tributary fragmentation areas, a concentrated distribution of fragmentation in the tributaries, and a significant increase in fragmentation in the main stream; (3) The analysis using the geographic detector method indicates that vegetation coverage (FVC), human activity intensity (HAI), and land use/land cover change (LUCC) are the main driving factors of landscape fragmentation in the Wei River basin. The findings explore the mechanisms of landscape fragmentation in the basin and provide a reference for land use planning and ecological restoration in the region.

Suggested Citation

  • Changzheng Gao & Qisen Dang & Chu Li & Yongming Fan, 2025. "Analysis of Landscape Fragmentation Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors in the Wei River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:538-:d:1605346
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/538/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/538/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guoqiang Ma & Qiujie Li & Shuyu Yang & Rong Zhang & Lixun Zhang & Jianping Xiao & Guojun Sun, 2022. "Analysis of Landscape Pattern Evolution and Driving Forces Based on Land-Use Changes: A Case Study of Yilong Lake Watershed on Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-13, August.
    2. Yingzhuo Zhang & Haoran Yin & Lianqi Zhu & Changhong Miao, 2021. "Landscape Fragmentation in Qinling–Daba Mountains Nature Reserves and Its Influencing Factors," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Hanguang Yu & Dongya Liu & Chunxiao Zhang & Le Yu & Ben Yang & Shijiao Qiao & Xiaoli Wang, 2023. "Research on Spatial–Temporal Characteristics and Driving Factors of Urban Development Intensity for Pearl River Delta Region Based on Geodetector," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-21, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ge Shi & Jingran Zhang & Jiahang Liu & Jinghai Xu & Yu Chen & Yutong Wang, 2024. "Spatial Analysis of Lung Cancer Patients and Associated Influencing Factors from the Perspective of Urban Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Yifang Wang & Linlin Cheng & Yang Zheng, 2023. "An Adjusted Landscape Ecological Security of Cultivated Land Evaluation Method Based on the Interaction between Cultivated Land and Surrounding Land Types," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Qingyi Chen & Yuting Liu & Zuolin Yao, 2024. "Spatial–Temporal Pattern Evolution and Differentiation Mechanism of Urban Dual Innovation: A Case Study of China’s Three Major Urban Agglomerations," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-22, August.
    4. Shiliang Liu & Yingying Chen & Rongjie Yang & Di Li & Yuling Qiu & Kezhu Lu & Xinhao Cao & Qibing Chen, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Constructed Wetland Landscape Patterns during Rapid Urbanization in Chengdu, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Peiyuan Tao & Ye Lin & Xing Wang & Jiayan Li & Chao Ma & Zhenkun Wang & Xinyue Dong & Peng Yao & Ming Shao, 2023. "Optimization of Green Spaces in Plain Urban Areas to Enhance Carbon Sequestration," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-25, June.
    6. Fan Yang & Yunlan Tang & Suwen Xiong & Chuntian Gu & Yadan Xiao, 2024. "Development of Highway Construction Route Selection Based on Ecological Sensitivity Evaluation and Intervention Optimization Strategy Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, November.
    7. Yi Deng & Ziyi Mao & Jinling Huang & Faling Yan & Shenghai Han & Anqi Li, 2022. "Spatial Patterns of Natural Protected Areas and Construction of Protected Area Groups in Guangdong Province," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-25, November.
    8. Yutong Wang & Jianyu Yang, 2024. "The Spatio-Temporal Development and Influencing Factors of Urban Residential Land Prices in Hebei Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Jan K. Kazak & Katarzyna Hodor & Magdalena Wilkosz-Mamcarczyk, 2022. "Climate Change and Current Challenges for Landscapes and Cultural Heritage," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-3, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:538-:d:1605346. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.