Influence of plant diversity and spatial pattern of urban green spaces on socioeconomic activities: insights from Xiamen, China

Abstract

ABSTRACT Urban green space is the fundamental component of urban ecosystems, but the processes and mechanisms underlying the influence of green space structure and quality on human social and economic activities are still unclear. Plant diversity in the green space may have an impact on socioeconomic activities, which can be characterized by the spatial distribution of points of interest (POIs). To test this hypothesis, 16 green spaces on Xiamen Island were taken as the research object to analyze the relationships among five plant diversity indices, three landscape indices, and seven POIs of green spaces. Principal component analysis and the partial least-squares regression model were used to study the distribution of the seven types of POIs and the influence of green space on POI distribution. The results showed that the closer to the green space, the greater the weight of the principal components of medical institutions. The effects of green space on the seven POIs were represented with spatial relationships within the buffers. With the change in buffer gradient, there are influence trends such as the ‘∪’ or ‘∩’ type on various POIs. POIs are more impacted by the internal plant diversity index than by the landscape index of the green space. There was a scale effect of the diversity and landscape indices on the number of POI changes. The effect of the relationship between plant diversity and the spatial pattern of urban green spaces on socioeconomic activities is not direct but rather indirect.