Impact Of Urban Expansion Research Articles

Impact of Urban Expansion on the Formation of Urban Heat Islands in Isfahan, Iran: A Satellite Base Analysis (1990–2019)

Impact of Urban Expansion on the Formation of Urban Heat Islands in Isfahan, Iran: A Satellite Base Analysis (1990–2019)

The critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) surviving in the cracks under urbanization in Shenzhen

Understanding impacts of urbanization upon local wildlife is pivotal for fostering urban sustainability and biodiversity conservation. Urbanization can directly cause habitat loss and intensify interactions between wildlife due to habitat loss. Here we focus on a threatened flagship species, Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), in the eastern forests of Shenzhen, a megacity in China. We first conducted field surveys to uncover its fresh (used within a year) and abandoned burrows (unused > a year) and surrounding habitat characteries (elevation, slope, canopy closure, vegetation cover). We then deployed camera traps near the burrows to monitor the daily activities of the Chinese pangolin and sympatric species, and anthropogenic activities. These data were finally used to predict changes in habitat distributions/uses with species distribution models, and to statistically analyze the spatio-temporal relationships between the Chinese pangolin and its potential threats. We found the suitable habitats of pangolin burrows have been halved over the recent decade. In contrast to abandoned burrows, fresh burrows were more likely to be found at higher altitudes (200–500 m) and closer to reservoirs (300–500 m). Pangolins had strong spatial avoidance to presences of humans and domestic dogs, and reduced activities outside when potential predators were most active. We suggest that mitigating human disturbances in the eastern forests is crucial for the maintenance and recovery of the pangolin population in Shenzhen. Our study is among the first to shred a light on the impact of urban expansion on the Chinese pangolins and provides habitat maps and ecological knowledge of the Chinese pangolin for the forest restorations and conservation planning in Shenzhen.

Coupling cellular automata and What If? models for residential expansion simulation: A case study of Southwest Sydney, Australia

AbstractThe impact of urban expansion on achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) has become a significant research topic in the field of geographic information science. In this article, we describe a coupled cellular automata (CA)—‐What If? model to explore SDG11 “Sustainable cities and communities.” The model calculates overall residential land use demand based on historical data archives using the What If? planning support system (PSS), and then allocates it using a CA model that incorporates variables related to SDG11.2.1 and 11.7.1. Historical datasets for years 2016 and 2021 from Southwest Sydney, Australia were used to assess model accuracy, after which two residential expansion scenarios (years 2021 and 2026) were generated. Based on the modeling results, the SDG‐related spatial variables can improve the overall accuracy of CA sub‐models using an XGBoost machine learning training methodology. The simulation results of these scenarios confirm the effectiveness of the coupled CA‐What If? model, which has the potential to generate more reliable scenario results than the standalone What If? PSS for modeling urban growth of cities across Australia and internationally.

Impact of Urban Expansion on Carbon Emissions in the Urban Agglomerations of Yellow River Basin, China

Continued urban expansion (UE) has long been regarded as a huge challenge for climate change mitigation. However, much less is known about how UE affects carbon emissions (CEs), especially in the urban agglomerations of the Yellow River Basin (UAYRB), China. In this regard, this study introduced kernel density analysis, the Gini coefficient, and Markov chains to reveal the UE patterns and carbon emissions intensity (CEI) in the UAYRB at the county level, and explored the spatial heterogeneity of the impact of UE on CEI with the geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results show that both CEI and UE in the UAYRB showed a steady growing trend during the study period. The kernel density of CEI and UE revealed that CEI in the UAYRB was weakening, while the UE rate continuously slowed down. The Gini coefficients of both CEI and UE in the UAYRB region were at high levels, indicating obvious spatial imbalance. The Markov transfer probability matrix for CEI with a time span of five years showed that CEI growth will still occur over the next five years, while that of UE was more obvious. Meanwhile, counties with a regression coefficient of UE on CEI higher than 0 covered the majority, and the distribution pattern remained quite stable. The regression coefficients of different urban landscape metrics on CEI in the UAYRB varied greatly; except for the landscape shape index, the regression coefficients of the aggregation index, interspersion and juxtaposition index, and patch density overall remained positive. These findings can advance the policy enlightenment of the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

Impact of Urban Expansion on Migratory Birds in the Lagos Wetlands: Breeding Habits and Population Dynamics

This research delves into the complex interactions between urban expansion and migratory bird populations in the Lagos wetlands, specifically examining how changes in urban landscapes influence breeding habits and population dynamics. The rapid and extensive urbanization in Lagos has resulted in considerable habitat fragmentation and environmental degradation, leading to significant disruptions in the ecological functions vital for the sustenance of migratory bird species. This study conducts a thorough analysis of existing conservation measures, assessing their effectiveness and identifying gaps in current practices. Building on this analysis, the research proposes a suite of integrated strategies for sustainable urban planning that emphasizes wildlife preservation. These strategies include the development of green infrastructure, the establishment of ecological corridors, enhanced community involvement in conservation efforts, and the integration of robust environmental policies into urban planning frameworks. The study underscores the critical need for a holistic and scalable approach to urban planning, one that effectively balances human development with the preservation of biodiversity. The findings advocate for a multi-faceted response to urban impacts, suggesting that while current conservation efforts provide a foundation, they require significant expansion and reinforcement to safeguard the migratory bird populations and maintain the ecological health of the Lagos wetlands in the face of ongoing urban challenges.

Urban Growth and Its Ecological Effects in China

As the largest developing nation, China is currently experiencing rapid urban growth. Conducting a thorough scientific assessment of this expansion and its ecological consequences is of paramount importance for advancing China’s ecological civilization and aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This study employs multi-source remote sensing data to investigate the spatiotemporal trends in Chinese urban development and explore its impact on the ecological environment. From 2013 to 2021, the findings indicate an increasing trend in China’s total nocturnal light, with the southern and central regions exhibiting higher growth rates. This suggests a decade-long expansion of Chinese cities, especially in the southern and central regions. However, the impact of urban expansion on ecological quality varies. Beijing, Shenyang, and Xi’an have witnessed improved environmental quality, while Kunming and Shenzhen have experienced minimal changes, and Hefei and Wuhan have encountered a decline. The observed spatial heterogeneity underscores the intricate relationship between urban expansion and ecological shifts. This study reveals the spatiotemporal dynamics of China’s urban expansion and its ecological impact, providing valuable insights and policy recommendations for fostering the harmonized development of urbanization and ecological preservation.

粤港澳大湾区城市规模扩张对一次降水过程影响的模拟研究

粤港澳大湾区城市规模扩张对一次降水过程影响的模拟研究

Impacts of urban expansion on meteorology and air quality in North China Plain during wintertime: A case study

The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the areas with a fast urbanization rate. The proportion of urban areas has increased from 1.78% in 2000 to 6.70% in 2015 in the NCP. Urban expansion induce variations in air pollutants are mainly determined by changes in meteorological conditions and atmospheric physicochemical processes. A persistent severe wintertime particulate pollution episode is simulated using the WRF-Chem model to investigate the impacts of land use/cover change on air quality in the NCP. Sensitivity simulations demonstrated that the urban expansion increases the near-surface temperature by approximately 0.2 °C, and further the development of the planetary boundary layer height by approximately 1.6%, but decreases the relative humidity by 0.4% on average. The near-surface O3 concentrations are increased by 2.2%, but the PM2.5 concentrations are decreased by 2.4% on average in the NCP. The near-surface concentration of NO2, SO2, and CO decrease by 4.5%, 2.2%, and 2.7%, respectively. The decrease in PM2.5 concentrations is approximately 8.9% in urban areas. Although urban expansion increases anthropogenic emissions of air pollutants, it alleviates particulate pollution to some degree, particularly in urban areas.

Measuring the extent and impact of urban expansion in an agricultural-urbanized landscape in Central Iran.

The unplanned urban expansion is a major environmental challenge in Iran resulting in vast degradation of agricultural lands. Focusing on an agricultural-urbanized landscape in Central Iran, the spatial pattern of built-up expansion was assessed from Landsat data processed in 1992 (TM), 2002 (ETM+), 2012 (TM), and 2022 (OLI). Multi-year crop NDVI was also used as a proxy for cropland suitability to assess the intensity of the urban growth impact. Results showed that (1) the area of built-up surfaces increased almost up to double than that of 1992 and passed 36% (413.42 km2) by 2022, (2) the region experienced a coalescence-diffusion transition phase with decreasing spatial connectivity of newly developed patches with old ones, (3) the most suitable croplands were lost in the middle period (2002-2012) when urban patches started to diffuse, and (4) a significantly positive spatial (Spearman's) relationship (r (22100) = 0.181, p = 0.000) was found between the area and quality of croplands which further highlights the high importance of cropland protection in the region.

Effects of Urban Expansion and Anthropogenic Heat Enhancement on Tropical Cyclone Precipitation in the Greater Bay Area of China

AbstractThe impact of urban expansion and anthropogenic heat (AH) enhancement on tropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China is investigated by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Sensitivity experiments are conducted during the landfall periods of two tropical cyclones, Hato (2017) and Mangkhut (2018), by artificially varying the surface AH flux from 0 to 600 W/m2 and the urban land surface from 1985 to 2017, respectively. Results show that the TCP in the GBA's urban region increases with both urban expansion and AH enhancement. However, in the urban downstream region, only AH enhancement causes an increase in TCP, whereas urban expansion has no significant influence on TCP. AH enhancement and urban expansion affect surface temperature, surface sensible heat flux, and surface latent heat flux, leading to changes in atmospheric instability and surface water evaporation, resulting in changes in low‐level moisture convergence. The change patterns of the vertically integrated moisture flux divergence between 850 and 910 hPa in the urban and urban downstream regions of the GBA are consistent with those of the TCP changes in this area, indicating that low‐level moisture convergence is the key factor determining the TCP changes in the region.

Projection of urban land surface temperature: An inter- and intra-annual modeling approach

An easily applied and efficiently exploited approach was proposed for the prediction of inter- and intra-annual land surface temperature (LST) in a city's central zone. Chengdu is chosen as the study area to demonstrate the applicability of the novel approach. Built-up areas were extracted using Landsat images in 2008, 2013, and 2019 and projected for 2030 using the cellular automata-Markov chain model, indicating that built-up areas grew nearly 109% during 2008–2019 in Chengdu and will continue to grow up to 2030. Employing the multiple linear regression, the LST of built-up areas in 2019 was predicted using the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) and the mean LST of its surrounding pixels (LST-R3) in 2013 (R2 = 0.981). The model's intra-annual application for 2019 showed a mean LST deviation of 0.93 °C. According to the model's inter-annual application, the projected LST of the built-up areas in 2030 will increase to 36.5 ± 2.0 °C. The results can contribute to achieving a thermally comfortable urban environment by providing insights into the impact of urban expansion on the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon under the limited availability of continuous LST data.

Impact of Urban Expansion on Coastal Vegetation Conservation in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

The ethical clearance certificate number for this research is KUL011SOLA01. This research elucidates the conceptualization of urbanization, urban sustainability, merits of coastal vegetation, and threats to urban expansion. Furthermore, this paper focuses on the analysis of the questionnaire, of which 300 copies were distributed to different categories of individuals in the study area, out of which a total of 254 copies were returned. The results revealed that 197 (80.7%) respondents confirmed the occurrence of environmental challenges, 33 (13.5%) others stated otherwise, while 14 (5.7%) claimed ignorance. Further, the researcher sought to know the causes of coastal vegetation loss; 190 (74.8%) respondents blamed it on urban expansion, 169 (66.8%) respondents stated it was due to deforestation activities. Other views cited by the respondents in this regard and their corresponding frequencies are as follows: bush fires (132/52.0%) and conversion of ecosystem land uses for crop cultivation (112/44.1%).

Impact of Urban Expansion on Wetlands: A Case Study of Bhoj Wetland, India

Impact of Urban Expansion on Wetlands: A Case Study of Bhoj Wetland, India

The Impact of Urban Expansion and Quarry on the Vegetation Cover around Al - Khoums City - Libya

The Impact of Urban Expansion and Quarry on the Vegetation Cover around Al - Khoums City - Libya

Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Rwanda, Bugesera District

Impact of Urban Expansion on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Rwanda, Bugesera District

Impact of urban expansion on ecosystem services in different urban agglomerations in China

Impact of urban expansion on ecosystem services in different urban agglomerations in China

Impacts of urban expansion on vegetation in drylands: A multiscale analysis based on the vegetation disturbance index

The rapid urban expansion in drylands has threatened local fragile vegetation in recent years. Evaluating the urban expansion impacts on local vegetation in drylands effectively is crucial for promoting regional urban sustainability. Taking the Hohhot–Baotou–Ordos–Yulin (HBOY) urban agglomeration in China as a case, we quantitatively evaluated the positive and negative urban expansion impacts on vegetation using the vegetation disturbance index. The results indicated that HBOY experienced significant urban expansion from 2000 to 2020. The urban land in HBOY expanded from 242 km2 to 1276 km2, an expansion of 1034 km2, with an annual growth rate of 8.7 %. The negative urban expansion impacts on vegetation far exceeded the positive impacts. Urban expansion negatively and positively affected 404 km2 and 169 km2 of vegetation, respectively. The former was 2.4 times that of the latter. The negative impacts on vegetation are mainly caused by the loss of cropland and grassland. Such negative impacts further affected more than 80 % of the threatened species in HBOY. Therefore, cities in drylands should balance urban development and vegetation conservation by strictly controlling cropland and grassland occupancy and promoting intelligent urban growth.

A Scenario Simulation Study on the Impact of Urban Expansion on Terrestrial Carbon Storage in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Assessing the impacts and drivers of urban expansion on terrestrial carbon storage (TCS) is important for urban ecology and sustainability; however, a unified accounting standard for carbon intensity and research on the drivers and economic value of TCS changes are lacking. Here, urban expansion and TCS in the Yangtze River Delta were simulated based on Patch-generating Land Use Simulation and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs models; scenario simulation; Literature, Correction, Ratio, Verification carbon intensity measurement; and land use transfer matrix methods. The results showed that (1) from 2000 to 2020, urbanization and TCS loss accelerated, with 61.127% of TCS loss occurring in soil, and land conversion was prominent in riverine and coastal cities, mainly driven by the urban land occupation of cropland around suitable slopes, transportation arteries, and rivers. (2) From 2020 to 2030, urban land expansion and TCS loss varied under different scenarios; economic losses from the loss of the carbon sink value under cropland protection and ecological protection were USD 102.368 and 287.266 million lower, respectively, than under the baseline scenario. Even if urban expansion slows, the loss of TCS under global warming cannot be ignored. Considering the indirect impacts of urbanization, the failure to establish a regional development master plan based on ecosystem services may affect China’s carbon targets.

Analysis of Urban Ecological Vulnerability and prospects under the Impact of Urban Expansion

Currently, urban expansion has been an important means of urban economic development, but the coercive impact of its rapid expansion on the ecological vulnerability of the region has become an increasingly important issue that restricts sustainable urban development. This paper uses a SWOT analysis method to analyze this phenomenon, and then proposes solutions based on the problem in order to better grasp the future and lead the development of a new type of city that is low-carbon and ecological.

The Impact of Urban Expansion on the Conurbation of Cities, Planning and Management Strategies for an Urban Agglomeration Project: Case of Batna City-Algeria

The Impact of Urban Expansion on the Conurbation of Cities, Planning and Management Strategies for an Urban Agglomeration Project: Case of Batna City-Algeria