Abstract
Accurately quantifying the variation of urban green space is the prerequisite for fully understanding its ecosystem services. However, knowledge about the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban green space is still insufficient due to multiple challenges that remain in mapping green spaces within heterogeneous urban environments. This paper uses the city of Hangzhou to demonstrate an analysis methodology that integrates sub-pixel mapping technology and landscape analysis to fully investigate the spatiotemporal pattern and variation of hierarchical urban green space patches. Firstly, multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis was applied to time series Landsat data to derive green space coverage at the sub-pixel level. Landscape metric analysis was then employed to characterize the variation pattern of urban green space patches. Results indicate that Hangzhou has experienced a significant loss of urban greenness, producing a more fragmented and isolated vegetation landscape. Additionally, a remarkable amelioration of urban greenness occurred in the city core from 2002 to 2013, characterized by the significant increase of small-sized green space patches. The green space network has been formed as a consequence of new urban greening strategies in Hangzhou. These strategies have greatly fragmented the built-up areas and enriched the diversity of the urban landscape. Gradient analysis further revealed a distinct pattern of urban green space landscape variation in the process of urbanization. By integrating both sub-pixel mapping technology and landscape analysis, our approach revealed the subtle variation of urban green space patches which are otherwise easy to overlook. Findings from this study will help us to refine our understanding of the evolution of heterogeneous urban environments.
Highlights
Urbanization is dominated by population growth, industrialization, and land resources, and has been associated with a series of environmental issues, such as heat islands [1], urban flooding [2], and habitat loss [3]
This study presents a new approach that combines sub-pixel mapping technology and landscape analysis with long-term time series Landsat images to describe the detailed pattern of Urban green space (UGS) variation in a heterogeneous urban environment
And accurate information about urban green space is crucial for urban environment management
Summary
Urbanization is dominated by population growth, industrialization, and land resources, and has been associated with a series of environmental issues, such as heat islands [1], urban flooding [2], and habitat loss [3]. Urban green space (UGS) is represented by all vegetation cover in and around cities, including urban forest, grassland, parks, green roofs, gardens, urban farms, and street trees, and is widely believed to provide critical ecosystem services and play a vital role in mitigating the negative impacts brought about by urbanization [4]. These include air pollution reduction [5], storm water runoff interception [6], energy use reduction [7], noise reduction [8], and habitat preservation [9].
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