Tracking economic-driven coastal wetland change along the East China Sea

Abstract

Coastal wetlands provide various ecological functions but are threatened by land reclamation and urbanization, which cause wetland degradation and loss. Understanding wetland transition trends and driving factors is challenging. Here, we used the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) to analyze the relationship between coastal wetlands, as classified by the Google Earth Engine (GEE), and socio-economic indicators along the East China Sea. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the driving factors. We found that the (1) wetland transition depended on geomorphic units and socio-economic development; (2) wetland area changes from 1985 to 2020 had a typical EKC pattern and can be divided into three periods due to policy changes; and (3) economic development and urbanization were the primary reasons for wetland changes, with a strong correlation between natural wetland area, GDP per capita, and impervious surface, but a lower correlation with aquacultural area.