Ecological Indicators (Aug 2022)
Mapping Chinese land system types from the perspectives of land use and management, biodiversity conservation and cultural landscape
Abstract
Land is an integrated and complex system consisting of multiple natural and anthropogenic elements. The long-term exploitation and utilization of land resources by humans have transformed the terrestrial surface of the Earth and profoundly impacted the spatial patterns of regional land use and land cover. Land use/cover (LULC) data have been extensively used to monitor regional land changes and contribute to land use policy making. However, these products objectively reflect only the current coverage and biophysical attributes of the terrestrial surface but fail to characterize the multiple functions and attributes of the human-environment system (HES). In this study, we present an integrated land system classification for representing the regional HES based on multisource datasets that characterize the attributes of land use and management, biodiversity conservation and cultural landscapes. Then, 40 land system types (LSTs) in China were identified using the self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm. According to the land system map, we found significant east–west differentiation in land use intensity, with high-intensive LSTs occurring mostly in eastern provinces and natural and seminatural LSTs dominating in central and western regions. The multifunctional LSTs that host food production, biodiversity conservation and cultural heritage were estimated to cover 32% of the terrestrial area in China. In summary, our results can provide a basis for regional land assessment and help identify the pressures on and threats to the eco-environment. Mapping regional land systems facilitates an in-depth understanding of human-environment interactions at the landscape level and serves as a useful tool in terms of forging sustainable land use strategies.
