Landscape Pattern and Ecological Risk Assessment in Guangxi Based on Land Use Change

Abstract

Due to ecological environmental fragility and soil erosion in Guangxi, studies of landscape patterns and associated ecological risks are needed to guide sustainable land development and ecologically sensitive land management. This study assesses dynamic spatial and temporal change patterns in land use and ecological risks based on 30 m land-use data, analyzes spatial correlations with ecological risks, and explores natural and socio-economic factor impacts on ecological risks. The results reveal: (1) A rapid and sizeable construction land increase in Guangxi from 2000 to 2018 associated mainly with loss of woodland and grassland. (2) Guangxi had the highest number of arable land patches from 2000 to 2018, and the distribution tended to be fragmented; moreover, the construction land gradually expanded outward from concentrated areas to form larger aggregates with increasing internal stability each year. (3) Guangxi ecological risk levels were low, low–medium, and medium, with significantly different spatial distributions observed for areas possessing different ecological risk levels. Regional ecological risk gradually decreased from the middle Guangxi regions to the surrounding areas and was positively correlated with spatial distribution. (4) Socio-economic factor impacts on ecological risk exceeded natural factor impacts. These results provide guidance toward achieving ecologically sensitive regional land-use management and ecological risk reduction and control, it can also provide a reference for ecological risk research in other similar regions in the world.