Spatial coupling differentiation and development zoning trade-off of land space utilization efficiency in eastern China

Abstract

Food security, economic development, and ecological environment protection have become global strategic issues concerning the sustainable development of human society, accompanied by the rapid globalization and urbanization. Exploring land space utilization efficiency (LSUE) quantitatively in agricultural production, economic development and ecological maintenance can help deepen regional understanding, tap the potential of land space, and implement strategies to optimize land space utilization. In this study, we established a new conceptual index system using system science, potential efficiency contribution analysis method, and least square error model for LSUE (i.e., state efficiency, potential efficiency) assessment as well as an analysis of the spatial coupling differentiation and development zoning trade-off of LSUE in Jiangsu Province of eastern China. Our results show that a large potential for sustainable land space utilization of Jiangsu exists with significant spatial difference. The high-value areas of agricultural production potential efficiency demonstrate a ring spatial pattern around the urban built-up areas, which may be explained by the occupation of arable land and the abandoned farmland induced by urbanization. The socio-economic development potential efficiency presents a south-to-north increasing pattern, indicating a prominent imbalance and greater polarization of regional development. The significant differences of ecological safety maintenance potential efficiency suggest that the northern and southern regions have played important roles in maintaining regional ecological security, while the central region leaves a great potential for improvement. Finally, we optimize the land space utilization and land use planning by proposing a framework of regional development trade-off zoning that targets balanced coordination among agriculture, economy and ecology in Jiangsu. Our overarching goal is to integrate local spatial differentiation and coupling relationship of LSUE into land use planning process and inform the policy-makers of more locally-adaptive decisions.