The next step in suburban rural revitalization: Integrated whole-process landscape management linking ecosystem services and landscape characteristics

Abstract

Suburban rural ecosystem, especially those adjacent to large cities, constitute a key component of rural and urban sustainability and resilience. However, urbanisation often exerts a negative impact on suburban rural landscapes, leading to ecological degradation. Despite making a significant contribution to multiple ecosystem services (ESs), suburban rural landscapes do not receive commensurate attention compared to urban themes, particularly on a smaller scale. We explored key drivers of land use dynamics in the suburban rural area of Jiangning, Nanjing, China, via a quantitative statistical mapping approach, utilising multi-source geospatial data from 2005 to 2018 and relevant ecological and socio-economic data that would enable the quantification of four key ecosystem services. Landscape functional zones characterised by ESs bundles were also identified, and their association with surrounding landscape attributes was statistically analysed. Our results highlighted urbanisation-induced population growth as the macro-context driving the development of Jiangning. The analysis yielded five distinct landscape functional zones (LFZs) that displayed synergistic relationships between their ESs, namely, carbon storage and soil retention, n-output and water yield. Furthermore, these results linked LFZs to environmental spatial characteristics and created detailed landscape elements for each zone, thereby emphasising the need for more comprehensive landscape planning and designing for ecological transition zones. We were thus able to imply zoning attributes-based rural landscape designs that may optimise ecological benefits. This study provides a systematic method to integrate ESs, landscape functional zones, and environmental spatial characteristics into the whole process management of suburban rural landscape planning. It aims to promote sustainable multifunctionality in suburban rural areas by providing spatial-level management indicators and landscape element-level design strategies for each LFZ, thereby revitalising the countryside from the perspective of landscape architecture.