Quantifying Dynamic Coupling Coordination Degree of Human–Environmental Interactions during Urban–Rural Land Transitions of China

Abstract

Urban–rural land transition and the coordination of coupled human–environmental systems are two important issues in the process of global urban–rural development. Although existing studies have explored the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of human–environmental interactions under the context of urbanization, few studies have taken land transitions into consideration. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of CCD in China from 2001 to 2018 using multisource remote sensing data and quantified the CCD changes in land transitions among urban construction land (UCL), rural residential land (RRL), and non-construction land (NCL). The CCD alterations mainly occurred in the decline in NCL stock, the increase in UCL stock, and especially the losses during RRL to NCL transfers. We urge academics and government decision-makers to pay more attention to the CCD transfers and losses during urban–rural transitions. This study provides scientific guidance for the development of urban–rural integration and is expected to assist the coordinated evaluation of human–environmental interactions in the process of sustainable development.