Abstract
Dike-ponds have experienced significant changes in the Pearl River Delta region over the past several decades, especially since China’s economic reform, which has seriously affected the construction of ecological environments. In order to monitor the evolution of dike-ponds, in this study we use multi-source remote sensing images from 1978 to 2016 to extract dike-ponds in several periods using the nearest neighbor classification method. A corresponding area weighted dike-pond invasion index (AWDII) is proposed to describe the spatial evolution of dike-ponds, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Furthermore, the evolution mechanisms of dike-ponds are determined, which can be attributed to both natural conditions and human factors. Our results show that the total area of dike-ponds in 2016 was significantly reduced and fragmentation had increased compared with the situation in 1978. The AWDII reveals that Shunde District has experienced three main phases, including steady development, rapid invasion and a reduction of invasion by other land use types. Most dike-ponds have now converted into built-up areas, followed by cultivated lands, mainly due to government policies, rural area depopulation, and river networks within Shunde. Our study indicates that the AWDII is applicable towards the evaluation of the dynamic changes of dike-ponds. The rational development, and careful protection, of dike-ponds should be implemented for better land and water resource management.
Highlights
Dike-ponds are a predominant and typical traditional agricultural production mode that was developed in the Pearl River Delta region of south China by local farmers [1]
We propose a new index called the area weighted dike-pond invasion index (AWDII), which is a variant of the landscape invasion index (LII)
In 1988, the dike-ponds in these areas stayed constant and some began to appear in the Eastern parts of Shunde District, though overall they have a more scattered distribution
Summary
Dike-ponds are a predominant and typical traditional agricultural production mode that was developed in the Pearl River Delta region of south China by local farmers [1]. Dike-ponds represent the integration of terrestrial ecosystems (dike) and freshwater ecosystems (pond), and they have become one of the most important types of ecological landscapes in dense river network areas [2,3]. Dike-ponds effectively solve some natural environment problems that often occur in low-lying areas, and in turn preserve ecological balance, but they create huge benefits in terms of driving economic growth [4]. Dike-ponds are considered a model of traditional Chinese agriculture practices, and they are an important agricultural cultural heritage in the world [5,6]
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