Dynamics Analysis of Spatial Distribution and Landscape Pattern of Wetlands in the Weihe River Basin from 1980 to 2020

Aijiao Wu, Junbao Li, Dan Zhang, Min Chen, Miaochun Fan, Bo Yang, Jing Yu, Yani Gao, Liandui Li and Zhiguo Xie ()
Additional contact information
Aijiao Wu: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Junbao Li: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Dan Zhang: College of Geomatics, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
Min Chen: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Miaochun Fan: Department of Grassland Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Bo Yang: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Jing Yu: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Yani Gao: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Liandui Li: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China
Zhiguo Xie: Shaanxi Academy of Forestry, Xi’an 710016, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: The wetland ecosystem is one of the most important carbon sinks on Earth, the most biodiverse ecological landscape in nature, and one of the most important living environments for human beings. The Weihe River wetland is located in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, with extreme climate and urban expansion having a great impact on its dynamic changes. Revealing the characteristics of and trends in wetland dynamics in the Weihe River Basin is the key to protecting and maintaining the healthy development of the Weihe River wetlands. This paper analyzed the changing characteristics of land use types and landscape patterns in the wetlands of the Weihe River Basin using wetland land use data from six periods in the Weihe River wetland from 1980 to 2020 and explored the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and dynamic changes in wetlands in the Weihe River Basin. The results showed the following: (1) Wetlands in the Weihe River Basin, dominated by rivers, saw area fluctuations with an initial decline followed by an increase. Land use changes followed a slow–fast–slow trend. (2) From 1980 to 2020, frequent conversions among wetland types were observed. The primary transformation was the conversion of marshes into lakes (18.05 km 2 ) and reservoirs/ponds (17.98 km 2 ). Approximately 0.06 km 2 of lakes were transformed into canals/channels. (3) River patches have the largest area, while canals/channels have the smallest. The patch density (PD) and landscape shape index (LSI) of wetlands fluctuate significantly, and the reduction in area leads to a 3.46% decrease in aggregation index (AI). Shannon’s diversity index (SHDI) has decreased by 5.41%. (4) The centroid of marshes experiences significant changes, while river changes are complex. The centroid changes in reservoirs/ponds are located along the southeast–northwest line. Canals/watercourses remain stable. Lakes exhibit the longest migration. This study provides robust scientific support for wetland ecological protection, policy formulation, and social sustainable development by conducting an in-depth analysis of the dynamic change characteristics of wetlands in the Weihe River Basin.

Keywords: Weihe River wetland; landscape pattern; wetland resources; centroid change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/544/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/544/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:544-:d:1565280

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().