Abstract
Evaluating and exploring regional eco-environmental quality (EEQ), economic development equality (EDE) and the coupling coordination degree (CCD) at multiple scales is important for realizing regional sustainable development goals. The CCD can reflect both the development level and the interaction relationship of two or more systems. However, relevant previous studies have ignored non-statistical data, lacked multiscale analyses, misused the coupling coordination degree model or have not sufficiently considered economic development equality. In response to these problems, this study integrated multisource remote sensing datasets to calculate and analyse the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) and then used nighttime light data and population density data to calculate the proposed nighttime difference index (NTDI). Next, a modified coupling coordination degree (MCCD) index was proposed to analyse the MCCD between EEQ and EDE. Then, spatiotemporal and multiscale analyses at the county, city, province, urban agglomeration and country levels were performed. Global and local spatial autocorrelation and trend analyses were performed to evaluate the spatial aggregation degree and change trends from 2001 to 2020. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The EEQ of China displayed a fluctuating upwards trend (0.0048 a−1), with average RSEI values of 0.5950, 0.6277, 0.6164, 0.6311 and 0.6173; the EDE of China showed an upwards trend (0.0298 a−1), with average NTDI values of 0.1271, 0.1635, 0.1642, 0.2181 and 0.2490; and China’s MCCD indicated an upwards trend (0.0220 a−1), with values of 0.4614, 0.5027, 0.4978, 0.5401 and 0.5525. (2) The highest global Moran’s I of NTDI and MCCD was achieved at the city scale, while the highest RSEI was achieved at the county scale. From 2001 to 2020, the spatial agglomeration effect of the RSEI decreased, while that of the NTDI and MCCD increased. (3) A power function relationship occurred between NTDI and MCCD at different scales. Furthermore, the NTDI had a higher contribution to improving the MCCD than the RSEI and the R2 of the fitted curve at different scales ranged from 0.8183 to 0.9915.
Highlights
Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has experienced tremendous changes, especially in terms of urbanization development [1]
Yuan et al found that the loadings of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and WET were all positive, while the loadings of the normalized difference build-up and soil index (NDBSI) and land-surface temperature (LST) were negative [51]; Gao et al showed that the load values of the NDVI and WET were positive, while the load values of NDBSI and LST were negative [52]; and Xiong et al found that the loadings of the NDVI and WET were positive, while the loadings of NDBSI and LST were negative in the Erhai Lake Basin [53]
This study aims to explore the relationship of the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI), nighttime difference index (NTDI) and modified coupling coordination degree (MCCD)
Summary
Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has experienced tremendous changes, especially in terms of urbanization development [1]. Several problems have been observed, such as the deterioration of the eco-environment [5], degradation of land quality [6], increased number of natural disaster cases [7] and a widening economic development gap among different regions [8]. These problems have hindered the realization of sustainable development goals [9]. Due to the complexity of urbanization and eco-environment subsystems, the coupling coordination relationship between them remains to be explored [10]. It is urgent to investigate their relationship and spatiotemporal change trends
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