Spatial-temporal Changes Research Articles

Exploring risk transfer of human brucellosis in the context of livestock agriculture transition: A case study in Shaanxi, China.

With the booming of worldwide agriculture intensification, brucellosis, one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, has become an increasing challenge for global public health. Although the transmission patterns of human brucellosis (HB) have been studied in many regions, the dynamic transfer processes of risk and its driving factors remain poorly understood, especially in the context of agricultural intensification. This study attempted to explore the risk transfer of HB between the exact epidemic areas and the neighboring or distant low-risk areas to explain the impact of livestock agriculture intensification and foodborne infections on the transmission of HB in Shaanxi Province as a case study. We adopted multiple approaches, including test-based methods, model-based methods, and a geographical detector to detect the spatial-temporal dynamic changes of high-risk epidemic areas of HB at the county scale. We also quantitatively estimated how the related factors drove the risk transfer of the disease. Results confirmed the risk transfer pattern of HB with an expansion from north to south in Shaanxi Province and identified two primary transfer routes. In particular, in the traditional epidemic areas of the Shaanbei plateau, the farm agglomeration effect can significantly increase the risk of HB. Meanwhile, retail outlets for milk and dairy products were partially responsible for the foodborne infections of HB in the emerging epidemic areas of Xi'an. This study not only contributed helpful insights to support HB control and prevention in the rapid transition of livestock agriculture but also provided possible directions for further research on foodborne HB infections in urbanized areas.

Effects of land use patterns on the interannual variations of carbon sinks of terrestrial ecosystems in China

Land use changes are thought to deeply impact the changes of terrestrial carbon sink, however, how the changes of land use pattern affect the carbon sink remains unclear. To investigate the response of Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) to the pattern of land use dynamics in China, a landscape pattern approach (with the 30 km moving window) was used to analyze the pattern dynamics with continuous Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) data from 1981 to 2019 and the nonlinear trends of the NEP and the patterns of land use were explored from 1981 to 2019 using Ensemble empirical modal decomposition (EEMD) methods, and their interannual relationship was further explored using Pearson correlation. The results are as follows: (1) For NEP, nearly half of the regions did not experience significant changes. <6 % of the regions were monotonically decreasing and increasing to decreasing. The monotonical increasing only accounted for 15.49 % of the study area, while the trend shift from decreasing to increasing accounted for 23.96 %, most predominantly located in the southern part of the Southern Region (SR); (2) For land use patterns, the vast majority of areas (>90 %) have experienced significant changes in land use patterns, the fragmentation and shape complexity, diversity and evenness of land use types has increased, while the connection decreased, meanwhile, most of these changes are not monotonical, but experiencing trend shifts; (3) In most of the total area (>80 %), land use patterns showed insignificant relationship with NEP, especially in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, in Greater Khingan Range, Loess Plateau and southern Hilly area, it showed significant relationship with NEP. Our studies highlight the importance of nonlinear analysis for fully understanding the spatial–temporal changes of NEP and land use patterns, and deepened the understanding the impacts of land use changes on NEP.

Hydrological and botanical diversity of a raised bog and its evaluation using in situ and remote sensing methods

Peatland vegetation requires water-logged conditions for peat-forming plant communities to survive. Changes in water regimes have been found to alter the soil environment and cause shifts in species composition. Occasionally, the spatial and chronological constraints in water table monitoring impede the correct evaluation of the status of these sensitive ecohydrological systems. Therefore, it is important to combine in situ and remote sensing methods to assess ecohydrological diversity over large areas of threatened peatland ecosystems. The present study assessed the relationship between hydrological indicators (the in situ water table fluctuations of 57 measurement wells and five study plots in the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons); botanical indicators (in situ species composition in three raised bog habitat types, namely, bog woodland, a semi-open raised bog, and an open raised bog); and spectral indices (NDVI – Normalised Difference Vegetation Index and NDWI – Normalised Difference Water Index, 2015–2020, Sentinel 2) for the evaluation of heterogeneous raised bog spatial patterns and temporal change. There were statistically significant relationships between vegetation and water table depth in different raised bog habitat types. Deeper water tables prevailed in woodland habitats (trees, green mosses, Rhododendron tomentosum) and vice versa in areas where open raised bog plants (Sphagnum) occupied the surface. Moderate relationships (r > |0.4|, p <.05) were detected between some of the botanical and hydrological indicators and spectral indices. The application of high-resolution remote sensing data may be useful for raised bog measurements, and changes in vegetation cover and related spectral indices may become hydroclimatic indicators.

Significant Increases in Wet Nighttime and Daytime–Nighttime Compound Heat Waves in China from 1961 to 2020

Heat waves (HWs) with high humidity are dangerous to human health. However, existing studies on different types of HWs considering the effect of humidity are still limited. This study defines three types of wet summer HWs (that is, wet independent daytime and nighttime HWs and wet daytime-nighttime compound HWs) and investigates their spatial-temporal changes across China during 1961–2020. Results show significant upward trends of wet nighttime and compound HWs in terms of frequency, occurring days, duration, intensity and spatial extent, while changes for wet daytime HWs are weak and insignificant in nearly all sub-regions of China except for southwest and eastern northwest China. Compared with wet compound and daytime HWs, wet nighttime HWs accompanied by more elevated relative humidity exhibit larger growth rates in frequency, occurring days, duration and affected areas. Additionally, most wet nighttime and compound HWs with the longest duration and/or the maximum intensity are found to occur after the mid-1990s, compared to fewer than half for wet daytime HWs. Our findings emphasize the prominent intensifying trends in wet nighttime HWs across China for the last 60 years, and suggest more efforts on exploring humid HWs.

Extensive responses of lake dynamics to climate change on northeastern Tibetan Plateau

The lakes on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau have undergone substantial changes. As intensive cryospheric components change, the response of the lake dynamics to climatic factors, glacier-snow melting, and permafrost thawing has been complex. Based on Landsat images, meteorological data, and glacier and permafrost data, the spatial-temporal changes in the lake area on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau between 1988 and 2019 were analyzed and the driving factors behind the lake changes were further explored. The results suggest that the regional lake area increased from 1988 to 2019 at rates of 0.01–16.03 km2/yr. It decreased during 1988–2000, quickly increased during 2000–2012, and rapidly increased during 2012–2019. The most significant lake expansion occurred in sub-region I, which is the source region of the Yangtze River Basin. There was a sharper increase during 2012–2019 than during 2000–2012 in sub-region II (the source region of the Yellow River Basin and the Qinghai Lake Basin) and sub-region III (the Qaidam Basin). The significant lake expansion occurred about 12 years earlier in sub-region I than in sub-regions II and III. This dramatic change in the lake area was closely associated with the annual precipitation, and precipitation was the primary driving factor. Although serious glacier retreat occurred, most of the lakes in the sub-regions were non-glacier-fed lakes. The correlation between glacier ablation and the change in the lake area was poor, which suggests that glacial meltwater was not the replenishment source of most of the lakes in this region. A more accelerated increase in the active layer thickness occurred (1.90 cm/yr), which was consistent with the more rapid lake expansion, and the permafrost degradation further intensified the lake expansion.

Spatial–temporal evolution and driving force analysis of eco-quality in urban agglomerations in China

Urban agglomerations are important spatial carriers of regional economic development, and their ecological quality (EQ) is closely related to economic growth and human development. However, the rapid urbanization in China has generated a series of EQ problems that threaten the sustainable development of the country. Therefore, it is essential to explore changes in EQ for the development of sustainable “human–land” relations in urban agglomerations. Using GIS, GeoDetector, Stepwise multiple regression, and Sen'trend analysis, to reveal the spatial-temporal evolution of EQ in urban agglomerations along with the spatial heterogeneity of its driving forces in China. Results show that: (1) The annual change rate of EQ of urban agglomerations ranges from −0.0312 to 0.0334. Taking the Hu-line as a boundary, the EQ of urban agglomerations is spatially high in the east and low in the west. (2) The Global Moran's I index ranged from 0.740 to 0.687 during the study period, indicating a positive correlation in the EQ spatial distribution. The EQ of urban agglomerations has significant spatial agglomeration, with hot spots concentrated in the eastern region and cold spots in the northwestern region. (3) Main drivers of EQ of urban agglomerations are elevation, population density, nighttime light index, arable land area, real GDP per capita, precipitation, and built-up urban area (q > 10 %). (4) The stepwise multiple regression model spatially reveals that the nighttime light index, built-up urban area land and GDP per capita dominate the ecological quality changes of urban agglomerations, accounting for 73.68 % of the total number of urban agglomerations. This study provides an effective method for assessing spatial-temporal changes of EQ in urban agglomerations, supports scientific decision-making support for the construction of ecological civilization and the development of human–land harmony in urban agglomerations, and promotes the development and construction of “Beautiful China.”

Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Changes in Ecological Sensitivity and Driving Forces in the Han River Basin

Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Changes in Ecological Sensitivity and Driving Forces in the Han River Basin

Antarctic Ecosystem Recovery Following Human-Induced Habitat Change: Recolonization of Adélie Penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Cape Hallett, Ross Sea

The human-induced disturbances in Antarctica have caused changes in the structure and function of ecosystems. The Cape Hallett station was established in 1957 and abandoned in 1973. The station was built inside a penguin colony, and during its operation, many penguins were deported. Herein, we compared the number of breeding pairs across different time periods after station decommission and environmental remediation. The station occupied 4.77 ha within the Adélie penguin breeding area, and 349 nests were identified inside the station border in 1960. In 1983, the station’s territory decreased to 4.2 ha; meanwhile, 1683 breeding pairs were counted in the old station area. The past station area re-inhabited by Adélie penguins had 6175 nests in 2019. We assumed that recolonization might be particularly related to artificial mounds. The results of the present study confirm the recolonization of Adélie penguins at Cape Hallett for the first time, with visual analysis of spatial-temporal changes. Additionally, we suggest that reconstruction of the artificial or enhanced habitat may be required for successful restoration. Furthermore, continuous species monitoring with specific notes are needed with management interventions to protect Antarctic ecosystems, as well as the Ross Sea region MPA.

RS-Based Assessment: Spatial-Temporal Changes in Water Basins of Tar and Havir Lakes

RS-Based Assessment: Spatial-Temporal Changes in Water Basins of Tar and Havir Lakes

Analyzing the environmental evolution of the Tibetan Plateau based on open-source data

The conflict between humanity and nature has recently gained prominence due to the ongoing development of human society and rising tensions caused by man-made conditions. Therefore, the Tibetan Plateau, known as the ecological environment’s treasure house, is now experiencing environmental degradation and losing biodiversity, which has increased its ecological vulnerability. This study quantitatively analyses the environmental evolution and driving factors of the ecological vulnerability of the Tibetan Plateau from 2005 to 2020. The three aspects chosen for evaluation factors are social economy, natural environment, and social response. The weights of the parameters that were chosen using the AHP method are then evaluated using a PSR model that is constructed. The vulnerability map for the local ecological environment is then created using the GIS model. Additionally, the GeoDetector method is used in the study to examine how the spatial-temporal differences change and the variables that influence those changes. The findings demonstrate that the interaction between vegetation cover, altitude, precipitation, and local human activities is the primary factor causing ecological vulnerability. And this study will advance ecological protection and development of the Tibetan Plateau, and make new strides in the study of topics.

The Spatial-Temporal Change of Extreme Precipitation in the Southwest Region of Zhejiang Province during 1953-2022

The Spatial-Temporal Change of Extreme Precipitation in the Southwest Region of Zhejiang Province during 1953-2022

Leveraging machine learning and remote sensing to monitor long-term spatial-temporal wetland changes: Towards a national RAMSAR inventory in Pakistan

In Pakistan, wetlands are of primary focus as they withstand the effects of floods, recharge groundwater, and provide several services in the context of economic, cultural, and climate mitigation aspects. However, the lack of field data and huge monitoring costs hinder their sustainable management in Pakistan. In connection with this, the current study leverages Google Earth Engine (GEE), earth observation data, and machine learning-based Random Forest (RF) algorithm to evaluate spatial-temporal heterogeneities in wetlands in Pakistan between 1990 and 2020. Additionally, the first high-resolution long-term inventory of wetlands in Pakistan is presented to provide a baseline. Our results ascertain an increase in wetlands areas over the last 30 years. The swamps’ area increased from 1391.19 km2 in 1990 to 8510.43 km2 in 2020 (2.62% annual change rate). Similarly, the marshes area increased between 1990 and 2020 with a ∼1.04% annual change rate. Conversely, the water area decreased from 8371.97 km2 in 1990 to 7818.34 km2 in 2020. The increase in wetlands could be associated with good conservation and planting practices in Pakistan. While these results provide important insights to implement conservation practices in the context of wetland sustainability, the resultant data is essential to the national wetlands inventory database for future evaluations.

Spatial-Temporal Changes in Water Supply and Demand in the Citarum Watershed, West Java, Indonesia Using a Geospatial Approach

Balancing water supply demand is vital for sustaining livelihoods. Spatial mapping and calculating water yield dynamics due to land use changes over decades are needed to manage land resources and formulate ecological protection policies. This study mapped the supply, demand, and matching status of water product service using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoff (InVEST) biophysical models in the Citarum Watershed (CW) in 2000, 2010, and 2020. Moreover, this study used Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to study the agglomeration characteristics and evolutionary trajectories of supply–demand over two decades. The results showed that between 2000–2010 and 2010–2020, the water supply decreased by 19.01 × 108 m3 (18.28%) and 12.97 × 108 m3 (15.27%), respectively. However, the water demand in the same period increased by 6.17 × 108 m3 (23%) and 15.74 × 108 m3 (47%), respectively. Over the decades, the contribution of land use land cover (LULC) changes to variations in water supply has yielded values ranging from 2.87% to 6.37%. The analysis of the water supply–demand imbalance indicated that the entire CW experienced water shortage, and the type of spatial matching for supply and demand is dominated by a high supply and high demand class (16.09% of the total area). Based on the level of water deficit calculation, the upstream and downstream areas were identified as zones that require ecological conservation, while the middle CW area requires ecological restoration or ecological improvement.

Spatial-temporal analysis of urban-rural differences in the development of elderly care institutions in China.

Aging is both a sign of rising life expectancy per capita and social progress, and a challenge for society. Due to the decline in physiological functions, the rate of illness has increased significantly, leading to a rise in demand for healthcare, life care and other elderly care. With the overlapping impact of an aging population, advanced aging, empty nesting families and the weakening of traditional elderly care functions, the issue of elderly care for the empty nesters, the elderly alone and the disabled has become more prominent and has become a focal point of concern for all sectors of society. As an important supplement to the elderly care service system, institutional care, together with home care, community care and rural care, are mutually complementary. The study establishes a panel database of urban and rural elderly-care institutions in 276 cities from 2010 to 2016, and uses comprehensive measurements to reveal the spatial-temporal changes of urban and rural elderly care institutions in China. First, in terms of spatial pattern, the overall score of elderly care institutions in urban areas shows a "double-high" spatial pattern of higher scores in coastal areas than inland areas, and higher scores in urban areas than in rural areas. In terms of the differences in the scores of secondary indicators, the eastern urban areas have higher scores than the rural areas for the indicators of facilities construction and nursing staff of elderly institutions, while the eastern rural areas have higher scores than their urban counterparts for the indicators of service recipients of elderly institutions. Second, in terms of temporal change, there is a clear "urban progress and rural regression" in the evolution of China's elderly care institutions. Third, in terms of spatial and temporal evolution, there is a clear spatial autocorrelation in the composite scores of urban and rural elderly care institutions in China, and the spatial autocorrelation of the composite scores of elderly care institutions shows a clustering pattern. The contradiction between the limited ability to pay of the elderly people staying in elderly care institutions and the huge demand for elderly care services is bound to affect the sustainability of the development of public elderly care institutions in both urban and rural areas. Due to historical factors, the marketisation of elderly care institutions in China started late and the marketisation of elderly care is not high. As the population ages, China's elderly-care institutions have begun to transform from public institutions of a welfare nature to those with some market mechanisms, but the overall transformation has been slow, resulting in the service guarantee system of elderly-care institutions lagging far behind the actual needs of the elderly. The long-term development of elderly care institutions must introduce market mechanisms, enhance the endogenous dynamics of elderly care institutions, correctly handle the relationship between fairness and efficiency of elderly care services, and improve the professionalism, income and treatment of elderly care staff while compensating for the lack of development of elderly care institutions and the inadequate layout of space, so as to continuously improve the service quality of elderly care institutions.

Land cover change and utilization of village land forest reserves in Ludewa, Tanzania

Knowledge of land cover change and associated driving factors is important for developing improved management strategies and future monitoring of tropical forests. We present here for the first time the case of two forest reserves (Litwang'ata and Intake) in Ludewa district, Southern Highlands Tanzania. These reserves were recently (2019) declared Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs), with their management and ownership devolved to their communities. We used remote sensing and GIS methods to assess spatial-temporal land cover change of the two VLFRs for the period 1996–2016. We also used household interviews (HHIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informants’ interviews (KIIs) to examine the perceived socio-economic drivers of land cover change and the household forest-based incomes derived from the VLFRs. Our findings overall showed that closed woodland decreased by 780.3 ha whereas open woodland, grass/shrub land and agricultural land increased by 700.9 ha, 71.7 ha and 50.9 ha, respectively. Wildfires are perceived as the major drivers of land cover change. To a large extent, local communities utilize VLFRs for their livelihoods, with major resources extracted being firewood, construction poles, fresh water and thatch grass. Of the total forest-based income, logging for timber accounted for about 33% for Intake VLFR users and 36% for villagers who utilize resources from Litwang'ata VLFR. Future monitoring of land cover and livelihood changes is recommended for sustainable forest management.

Wetland ecological index and assessment of spatial-temporal changes of wetland ecological integrity

Long-term, quantitative, and dynamic monitoring of regional ecological integrity using remote sensing can provide powerful decision-making support for sustainable regional development. However, existing methods are unable to accurately evaluate the quality of the surface ecological integrity because they do not consider vegetation saturation and salinization of wetlands. In addition, the ecological fragility of wetlands is characterized by a high frequency of changes in ecological conditions over time, leading to a lack of directionality in the analysis of ecological changes over long time series. To accurately assess the surface ecological integrity, this study integrates environmental salinity (Baseline-based Soil Salinity Index, BSSI) and a new vegetation element (Improved Hyperspectral Image-based Vegetation Index, IHSVI), and proposes the wetland ecological index (WEI) for the ecological integrity assessment system. Combined with the annual ecological integrity assessment using the WEI, the Mann-Kendall test was used to obtain the nodes of long-term changes. The WEI-Mann Kendall (WEI-MK) framework indicates the direction of analysis and realizes clear long-term series change monitoring. In this study, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes in ecological integrity in the Yellow River Delta from 1991 to 2020 based on the WEI-MK framework. The results showed that: 1) Compared with Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI), the WEI improved the accuracy of wetland integrity evaluation to 89 %. The WEI also improved accuracy of assessments in other typical regions by approximately 10 %. 2) The selection of nodes based on the WEI-MK framework clarified the direction of environmental change analysis. The results show that although the quality of the terrestrial ecological environment has improved over the past 30 years in the Yellow River Delta, that of the marine ecological environment has gradually declined. In particular, the state of the marine ecological environment after 2016 should be of concern.

The spatial-temporal reactive changes of compressed optic nerve in a clinically relevant rabbit model of persistent compressive optic nerve axonopathy

The optic nerve (ON) can get compressed in different diseases. However, the pathological and functional changes occurring in the compressed ON over time under constant compression are still unclear. In the present study, we implanted an artificial tube around the optic nerve of a rabbit to primarily create a clinically relevant persistent compressive optic nerve axonopathy (PCOA). Due to the protuberance on the inner ring of the tube, steady and persistent compressions were maintained. In this model, we investigated the thickness of ganglion cell complex (GCC), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) density, axon density of optic nerve, flash visual evoked potential (FVEP), and anterograde axonal transport at various times in four different groups viz. the no comp, 1/2 comp, 3/4 comp, and crush groups. The GCC thickness, RGC density, and axon density of ON were hierarchically and significantly decreased in 1/2 comp, 3/4 comp, and crush groups. Compared to no comp eyes, the P2 amplitude ratio of FVEP was significantly decreased in 3/4 comp but not in 1/2 comp eyes. Only a portion of the optic nerve lost the ability of anterograde axonal transport in the 1/2 comp group. However, it was evident at 2-wpo and more prominent at 4-wpo in 3/4 comp eyes. This study reveals that the compression only induces the homolateral ON axons impairment and the proportion of the affected axons maintains the same for mild compression for at least three months. Furthermore, an underlying threshold effect highlights that mild compression does not require urgent surgery, while the severe compression warrants immediate surgical intervention.

The spatial-temporal changes of supply-demand of ecosystem services and ecological compensation: A case study of Hexi Corridor, Northwest China

Understanding the relationship between supply and demand of ecosystem services (ES) is important to achieve sustainable use of natural capital and keep coordination of supply and demand. This paper used spatial analysis of the Geographic Information Science (GIS) method to quantify ecosystem service supply (ESS) and ecosystem service demand (ESD) by constructing the ecosystem services provision index and land development index respectively. Then the spatial-temporal characteristics of ES's supply and demand situation in Hexi Corridor (HC) were analyzed. In addition, the ecosystem service flow (ESF) and the corresponding ecological compensation (EC) for the ecosystem services supply areas (ESSA) and ecosystem services demand areas (ESDA) were quantified. The results showed that the regions with medium and high ESS showed significant growth, and regions with high ESD increase significantly. Besides, the distribution pattern of the ecosystem services supply-demand ratio (ESSDR) was high in the northwest and low in the southeast, which was mainly dominated by ES surplus, and the ESSDR always has spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity, forming a relatively stable spatial pattern. The High-High cluster areas of ESSDR were mainly distributed in the better ecological area, while the Low-Low cluster was mainly distributed in the economic development area. The supply-demand coordination displayed a balanced trend, and the changing area of supply-demand was mainly concentrated in the population aggregation region in the south of HC. The EC amount paid by ESDA decreased from 2000 to 2020, indicating that the supply capacity of ES was increased. This paper can provide references for regional ecosystem management and restoration.

Assessment of Grassland Degradation on the Tibetan Plateau Based on Multi-Source Data

Grassland is one of the most widely distributed ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) accounting for about 60% of the total area. The grassland degradation has spread throughout the TP, and the scope and degree are increasing. The inconsistency of multi-source data poses a great challenge to accurately obtaining information about grassland degradation on the TP. This study used five land cover products and six vegetation indexes to analyze the spatial-temporal change in grassland area and quality at the pixel level across the TP from 2000 to 2020. Then, 279 observed grassland degradation points that were collected from 86 published papers were used to verify the grassland degradation information. The grassland fusion product demonstrated that the grassland area increased by 8.84% from 2000 to 2020, and the rate of grassland degradation exceeded the rate of grassland greening during 2010–2020. The superimposed six vegetation indexes showed that 25.88% of the grassland quality has been degraded on the TP from 2000 to 2020. In Changdu City, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Rikaze City, Shannan City and Nagqu City, the grassland quality degraded by more than in 20% and the degraded grassland area exceeded 2000 km2. The observed grassland degradation points were mainly distributed in the northeastern and central parts of the TP. The consistency of six vegetation indexes with the observed grassland degradation points on the TP was 56.63%, with solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) being more effective than other vegetation indexes for monitoring grassland degradation on the TP. In general, the degradation of grassland on the TP has been a looming problem in recent decades.

Quantifying the spatial impact of landscape fragmentation on habitat quality: A multi-temporal dimensional comparison between the Yangtze River Economic Belt and Yellow River Basin of China

Landscape fragmentation due to urban sprawl and industrialization has caused habitat loss and threatened global biodiversity. However, the magnitude, spatial pattern, and mechanisms of how landscape fragmentation leads to habitat loss remain unclear. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) and the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YZREB) are important ecological security barriers that play a decisive role in landscape connectivity and biodiversity conservation in China. From a comparative perspective, this study analyzes the temporal-spatial changes of land cover in the YRB and the YZREB from 2005 to 2018 and simulates the land use pattern in 2031 using a patch-level simulation (PLUS) model. Then the degree and tendency of landscape fragmentation during 2005–2031 are measured based on the entire region and a 10 km grid, respectively. The habitat quality (HQ) is measured using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The temporal-spatial evolution characteristics of HQ are analyzed across multiple dimensions, including the entire region, urban agglomerations and watersheds (upstream, midstream, and downstream). Finally, spatial econometric models are applied to examine the spatial dependence of HQ and quantify the spatial impact of landscape fragmentation on HQ in the YRB and YZREB based on 10 km grids. Results show that: (1) there would be a significant trend of landscape fragmentation and habitat degradation in both the YRB and YZREB during 2005–2031. (2) HQ in the YRB and YZREB has the spatial distribution characteristics of being low in coastal areas and urban agglomerations but high in inland areas and mountainous forest areas. (3) The spatial distribution and spatial relationship of landscape fragmentation and HQ in YRB and YZREB differ significantly in multi-spatiotemporal dimensions. The findings could provide support for landscape planning and biodiversity conservation strategies in China and other developing countries.