IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i9p1812-d1743210.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Trade-Offs/Synergies of Land Use Functions at the Township Scale in Special Ecological Functional Zones

Author

Listed:
  • Jie Yang

    (Faculty of Geographical Science and Engineering, College of Geographical Sciences, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Jiashuo Zhang

    (Faculty of Geographical Science and Engineering, College of Geographical Sciences, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Chenyang Li

    (Faculty of Geographical Science and Engineering, College of Geographical Sciences, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    Henan Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450044, China)

  • Jianhua Gao

    (Faculty of Geographical Science and Engineering, College of Geographical Sciences, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China)

Abstract

Against the backdrop of urban–rural integrated development, special ecological function zones, as spatial carriers with significant regional ecological value and rural development functions, are confronted with a striking conflict between ecological conservation and regional advancement. This contradiction is comprehensively reflected in the interactions among land use functions (LUFs) that differ in nature and intensity. Therefore, exploring the trade-off and synergy (TOS) among regional LUFs is not only of great significance for optimizing territorial spatial patterns and advancing rural revitalization but also provides scientific evidence for the differentiated administration of regional land use. Taking 185 townships in the Funiu Mountain area of China as research units, this study constructs a land use assessment system based on the ‘Production–Living–Ecological’ (PLE) framework, utilizing multi-source datasets from 2000 to 2020. Spearman correlation analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR), and bivariate local spatial autocorrelation methods are employed to examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of LUFs and the spatial non-stationarity of their TOSs. The findings indicate that, throughout the research period, the production function (PF) displayed a fluctuating declining trend, whereas the living function (LF) and ecological function (EF) demonstrated a fluctuating increasing trend. Notably, EF held an absolute dominant position in the overall structure of LUFs. This is highly consistent with the region’s positioning as a special ecological function zone and also a direct reflection of the effectiveness of continuous ecological construction over the past two decades. Spatially, PF is stronger in southern, eastern, and northern low-altitude townships, correlating with higher levels of economic development; LF is concentrated around townships near county centers; and high EF values are clustered in the central and western areas, showing an opposite spatial pattern to PF and LF. A synergistic relationship is observed between PF and LF, while both PF and LF exhibit trade-offs with EF. The TOSs between different function changes demonstrate significant spatial non-stationarity: linear synergy was the primary type for PF-LF, PF-EF, and LF-EF combinations, but each combination exhibited unique spatial characteristics in terms of non-stationarity. Notably, towns identified as having different types of trade-off relationships in the study of spatial non-stationarity are key areas for township spatial governance and optimization. Through the allocation of regional resources and targeted policy tools, the functional relationships can be adjusted and optimized to attain sustainable land use.

Suggested Citation

  • Jie Yang & Jiashuo Zhang & Chenyang Li & Jianhua Gao, 2025. "Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Trade-Offs/Synergies of Land Use Functions at the Township Scale in Special Ecological Functional Zones," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-27, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:9:p:1812-:d:1743210
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/9/1812/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/9/1812/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pei, Sha & Zhang, Chunxiao & Liu, Chunlan & Liu, Xiaona & Xie, Gaodi, 2019. "Forest ecological compensation standard based on spatial flowing of water services in the upper reaches of Miyun Reservoir, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    2. Turkelboom, Francis & Leone, Michael & Jacobs, Sander & Kelemen, Eszter & García-Llorente, Marina & Baró, Francesc & Termansen, Mette & Barton, David N. & Berry, Pam & Stange, Erik & Thoonen, Marijke , 2018. "When we cannot have it all: Ecosystem services trade-offs in the context of spatial planning," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 29(PC), pages 566-578.
    3. Xiaoyun Li & Zhaonian Lu, 2025. "Exploring the Balance Between Ecosystem Services and Economic Benefits via Multi-Objective Land Use Optimization," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Xiaoyang Li & Zhaohua Lu, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Evolution of Land Use Structure and Function in Rapid Urbanization: The Case of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Zhang, Jing & Li, Sinan & Lin, Naifa & Lin, Yue & Yuan, Shaofeng & Zhang, Ling & Zhu, Jinxia & Wang, Ke & Gan, Muye & Zhu, Congmou, 2022. "Spatial identification and trade-off analysis of land use functions improve spatial zoning management in rapid urbanized areas, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    6. Kaichun Zhou & Zixiang Sun & Tingting Ma & Yulin Li & Binggeng Xie, 2025. "Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity and Zoning Strategies of Multifunctional Trade-Offs and Synergies in Cultivated Land in the Hexi Corridor," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-23, February.
    7. Rongxi Peng & Tao Liu & Guangzhong Cao, 2023. "Valuating Multifunctionality of Land Use for Sustainable Development: Framework, Method, and Application," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, January.
    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. Dinghua Ou & Xiaofan Cheng & Zijia Yan & Kun Ruan & Qingyan Huang & Zhi Zhao & Ziheng Yang & Jing Qin & Jianguo Xia, 2025. "Territorial Functional Pattern Reconstruction Integrating Set-Theoretic and Functional Mappings with Game-Theoretic Analysis to Reconcile Development and Conservation in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-38, October.
    2. Aryal, Kishor & Maraseni, Tek & Apan, Armando, 2023. "Examining policy−institution−program (PIP) responses against the drivers of ecosystem dynamics. A chronological review (1960–2020) from Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    3. Antonio J. Castro & Cristina Quintas-Soriano & Jodi Brandt & Carla L. Atkinson & Colden V. Baxter & Morey Burnham & Benis N. Egoh & Marina García-Llorente & Jason P. Julian & Berta Martín-López & Feli, 2018. "Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Lu Wang & Bonoua Faye & Quanfeng Li & Yunkai Li, 2023. "A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of the Ecological Compensation for Cultivated Land in Northeast China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-20, December.
    5. Aibo Jin & Gachen Zhang & Ping Ma & Xiangrong Wang, 2024. "Ecosystem Services Trade-Offs in the Chaohu Lake Basin Based on Land-Use Scenario Simulations," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-29, December.
    6. Pietrzyk-Kaszyńska, Agata & Olszańska, Agnieszka & Rechciński, Marcin & Tusznio, Joanna & Grodzińska-Jurczak, Małgorzata, 2022. "Divergent or convergent? Prioritization and spatial representation of ecosystem services as perceived by conservation professionals and local leaders," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Chenhao Zhu & Jonah Susskind & Mario Giampieri & Hazel Backus O’Neil & Alan M. Berger, 2023. "Optimizing Sustainable Suburban Expansion with Autonomous Mobility through a Parametric Design Framework," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-31, September.
    8. Van Oijstaeijen, Wito & Van Passel, Steven & Back, Phil & Cools, Jan, 2022. "The politics of green infrastructure: A discrete choice experiment with Flemish local decision-makers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    9. Hani Amir Aouissi & Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor & Mostefa Ababsa & Maria Boştenaru-Dan & Mahmoud Tourki & Zihad Bouslama, 2021. "Influence of Land Use on Avian Diversity in North African Urban Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Montoya, Daniel & Gaba, Sabrina & de Mazancourt, Claire & Bretagnolle, Vincent & Loreau, Michel, 2020. "Reconciling biodiversity conservation, food production and farmers’ demand in agricultural landscapes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 416(C).
    11. Armands Auzins & Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, 2021. "Values-Led Planning Approach in Spatial Development: A Methodology," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, April.
    12. Han, Bo & Jin, Xiaobin & Sun, Rui & Li, Hanbing & Liang, Xinyuan & Zhou, Yinkang, 2023. "Understanding land-use sustainability with a systematical framework: An evaluation case of China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    13. Shunqian Gao & Liu Yang & Hongzan Jiao, 2022. "Changes in and Patterns of the Tradeoffs and Synergies of Production-Living-Ecological Space: A Case Study of Longli County, Guizhou Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    14. Liang Zheng & Yajing Wang & Hui Yang & Yuzhe Bi & Lei Xu & Ying Wang, 2024. "Identifying Trade-Offs and Synergies of Production–Living–Ecological Functions and Their Drivers: The Case of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-20, August.
    15. J. Amy Belaire & Heather Bass & Heather Venhaus & Keri Barfield & Tim Pannkuk & Katherine Lieberknecht & Shalene Jha, 2023. "High-Performance Landscapes: Re-Thinking Design and Management Choices to Enhance Ecological Benefits in Urban Environments," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, August.
    16. Jiao Zhang & Qian Wang & Yiping Xia & Katsunori Furuya, 2022. "Knowledge Map of Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development: A Visual Analysis Using CiteSpace," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-24, February.
    17. Agudelo, César Augusto Ruiz & Bustos, Sandra Liliana Hurtado & Moreno, Carmen Alicia Parrado, 2020. "Modeling interactions among multiple ecosystem services. A critical review," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 429(C).
    18. Dehghani Pour, Milad & Barati, Ali Akbar & Azadi, Hossein & Scheffran, Jürgen & Shirkhani, Mehdi, 2023. "Analyzing forest residents' perception and knowledge of forest ecosystem services to guide forest management and biodiversity conservation," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    19. Gulmira Abbas & Alimujiang Kasimu, 2023. "Characteristics of Land-Use Carbon Emissions and Carbon Balance Zoning in the Economic Belt on the Northern Slope of Tianshan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-27, July.
    20. Xuanmiao Peng & Xiaoai Dai & Ryan Shi & Yujian Zheng & Xinyue Liu & Yuhe Xiao & Weile Li & Yang Zhang & Jue Wang & Huan Huang, 2024. "Investigating the Effects of Mining on Ecosystem Services in Panzhihua City: A Multi-Scenario Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-25, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:9:p:1812-:d:1743210. 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.