Land pressure evaluation in the Yangtze River Delta region: A perspective from production‐living‐ecology

Abstract

AbstractThe limited land is under unprecedented pressure from production, living, and ecology. For evaluating the land pressure in the Yangtze River Delta region in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 from the perspective of production, living, and ecology, this study builds a land pressure evaluation index system based on a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model using multisource and multiscale data. For investigating trade‐offs and synergies among production, living, and ecology pressures, we use the mechanical equilibrium model in physics. We then analyze land pressure model reliability and uncertainty using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that (1) Our model can effectively reveal the level of land pressure and reflect the land pressure geographical pattern of “high in the east and low in the west, high in the south and low in the north” that characterizes the Yangtze River Delta region. (2) While living and ecology pressures tend to rise, production pressures tend to decrease. (3) Except for Shanghai, the trade‐off areas are primarily concentrated in economically successful regions with high production and living pressure and low ecology pressure. The coordinated areas are primarily found in northern Jiangsu Province and northern Anhui Province.