Multi-Scale Analysis of Land Use Transition and Its Impact on Ecological Environment Quality: A Case Study of Zhejiang, China

Zhiyuan Xu, Fuyan Ke (), Jiajie Yu and Haotian Zhang
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Zhiyuan Xu: Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Fuyan Ke: Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Jiajie Yu: Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Haotian Zhang: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-27

Abstract: The impacts of land use transition on ecological environment quality (EEQ) during China’s rapid urbanization have attracted growing concern. However, existing studies predominantly focus on single-scale analyses, neglecting scale effects and driving mechanisms of EEQ changes under the coupling of administrative units and grid scales. Therefore, this study selects Zhejiang Province—a representative rapidly transforming region in China—to establish a “type-process-ecological effect” analytical framework. Utilizing four-period (2005–2020) 30 m resolution land use data alongside natural and socio-economic factors, four spatial scales (city, county, township, and 5 km grid) were selected to systematically evaluate multi-scale impacts of land use transition on EEQ and their driving mechanisms. The research reveals that the spatial distribution, changing trends, and driving factors of EEQ all exhibit significant scale dependence. The county scale demonstrates the strongest spatial agglomeration and heterogeneity, making it the most appropriate core unit for EEQ management and planning. City and county scales generally show degradation trends, while township and grid scales reveal heterogeneous patterns of local improvement, reflecting micro-scale changes obscured at coarse resolutions. Expansive land transition including conversions of forest ecological land (FEL), water ecological land (WEL), and agricultural production land (APL) to industrial and mining land (IML) primarily drove EEQ degradation, whereas restorative ecological transition such as transformation of WEL and IML to grassland ecological land (GEL) significantly enhanced EEQ. Regarding driving mechanisms, natural factors (particularly NDVI and precipitation) dominate across all scales with significant interactive effects, while socio-economic factors primarily operate at macro scales. This study elucidates the scale complexity of land use transition impacts on ecological environments, providing theoretical and empirical support for developing scale-specific, typology-differentiated ecological governance and spatial planning policies.

Keywords: land use transition; spatial pattern; ecological environmental quality; multi-scale effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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