Land-Use/Cover Change and Driving Forces in the Pan-Pearl River Basin during the Period 1985–2020

Wei Fan, Xiankun Yang (), Shirong Cai, Haidong Ou, Tao Zhou and Dakang Wang ()
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Wei Fan: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xiankun Yang: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Shirong Cai: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Haidong Ou: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Tao Zhou: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Dakang Wang: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-26

Abstract: Land use/cover change (LUCC) is a vital aspect representing global change and humans’ impact on Earth’s surface. This study utilized the ESRI Land Cover 2020 and China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD), along with historical imagery from Google Earth, to develop a method for the assessment of land use data quality. Based on the assessment, the CLCD was updated to generate an improved Re-CLCD for the Pan-Pearl River Basin (PPRB) from 1985 to 2020, and to analyze LUCC in the PPRB over the past 35 years. The results indicate the following: (1) Among the seven land uses, built-up land experienced the most dramatic change, followed by cropland, forestland, grassland, shrubland, waterbody, and bare land, with notable increases in built-up land and forestland, and rapid decreases in cropland, grassland, and shrubland. (2) The magnitude of land use changed very widely, with the highest change in the Pearl River Delta, followed by small coastal river basins in southern Guangdong and western Guangxi, the Dongjiang River Basin, the Hanjiang River Basin, the Xijiang River Basin, the Beijiang River Basin, and lastly, Hainan Island. (3) The largest increase happened in built-up land, with a total increase of 12,184 km 2 , mainly due to the occupation of cropland and forestland, corresponding to the highest decrease in cropland, with a net loss of 10,435 km 2 , which was primarily converted to forestland and built-up land. The study results are valuable in providing a scientific basis for policy overhaul regarding land resources and management to safeguard ecological balance and promote sustainable development in the Pan-Pearl River Basin.

Keywords: land use; Pearl River; Landsat; driver forces; urbanization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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