Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures

Vegetation is crucial in enhancing the urban environment and benefiting human settlements. Consequently, monitoring and attributing vegetation dynamics in urban agglomerations are paramount. Nevertheless, quantitatively assessing the driving mechanisms of urban vegetation proves challenging due to i...

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Main Authors: Daifei Huang, Sen Cao, Weiqing Zhao, Pengjun Zhao, Jiana Chen, Mengchen Yu, Zaichun Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-02-01
Series:Ecological Indicators
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24001961
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author Daifei Huang
Sen Cao
Weiqing Zhao
Pengjun Zhao
Jiana Chen
Mengchen Yu
Zaichun Zhu
author_facet Daifei Huang
Sen Cao
Weiqing Zhao
Pengjun Zhao
Jiana Chen
Mengchen Yu
Zaichun Zhu
author_sort Daifei Huang
collection DOAJ
description Vegetation is crucial in enhancing the urban environment and benefiting human settlements. Consequently, monitoring and attributing vegetation dynamics in urban agglomerations are paramount. Nevertheless, quantitatively assessing the driving mechanisms of urban vegetation proves challenging due to its direct regulation by human land use activities and its susceptibility to influences from urban environmental changes intertwined with global environmental shifts. A critical obstacle arises from the scarcity of reliable long-term observation data, further amplifying the difficulty of such research. Using a newly developed technique that effectively resolves cross-sensor bias and low revisiting frequency issues, we generated Landsat-based long-term vegetation indices data (NDVI, EVI, and NIRv) during 1986–2020. Our study quantified spatiotemporal vegetation changes and examined the contributions of various drivers, including atmospheric CO2 concentration, climate variations, and land cover changes over the past four decades in two representative urban agglomerations in China: the Wuhan Metropolitan Area (WMA) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). We found notable and prevalent rising trends of vegetation growth in WMA and GBA during 1986–2020, with considerable spatial and time-period variability. Greening was continuously observed in WMA with a significant increasing trend (0.0019 yr−1, p < 0.01) in annual EVImax, while in GBA, the trends shifted from slightly decreasing (-0.0003 yr−1, p < 0.01) before 2000 to increasing (0.0038 yr−1, p < 0.01) after 2000. The disparities between WMA and GBA were due to urban development status variations across cities and periods. Elevated CO2 concentration and increased solar radiation were the primary factors behind the overall greening. However, land cover changes partially offset these positive contributions in WMA. Our results assist in understanding vegetation dynamics and the effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors at the urban scale, providing valuable insights for ecological management in metropolitan areas.
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spelling doaj.art-43024ad91f4e4b4a9357fc53683271e12024-02-25T04:35:23ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2024-02-01159111739Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressuresDaifei Huang0Sen Cao1Weiqing Zhao2Pengjun Zhao3Jiana Chen4Mengchen Yu5Zaichun Zhu6School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Human-Earth Relations, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China; Corresponding author at: School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.Vegetation is crucial in enhancing the urban environment and benefiting human settlements. Consequently, monitoring and attributing vegetation dynamics in urban agglomerations are paramount. Nevertheless, quantitatively assessing the driving mechanisms of urban vegetation proves challenging due to its direct regulation by human land use activities and its susceptibility to influences from urban environmental changes intertwined with global environmental shifts. A critical obstacle arises from the scarcity of reliable long-term observation data, further amplifying the difficulty of such research. Using a newly developed technique that effectively resolves cross-sensor bias and low revisiting frequency issues, we generated Landsat-based long-term vegetation indices data (NDVI, EVI, and NIRv) during 1986–2020. Our study quantified spatiotemporal vegetation changes and examined the contributions of various drivers, including atmospheric CO2 concentration, climate variations, and land cover changes over the past four decades in two representative urban agglomerations in China: the Wuhan Metropolitan Area (WMA) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). We found notable and prevalent rising trends of vegetation growth in WMA and GBA during 1986–2020, with considerable spatial and time-period variability. Greening was continuously observed in WMA with a significant increasing trend (0.0019 yr−1, p < 0.01) in annual EVImax, while in GBA, the trends shifted from slightly decreasing (-0.0003 yr−1, p < 0.01) before 2000 to increasing (0.0038 yr−1, p < 0.01) after 2000. The disparities between WMA and GBA were due to urban development status variations across cities and periods. Elevated CO2 concentration and increased solar radiation were the primary factors behind the overall greening. However, land cover changes partially offset these positive contributions in WMA. Our results assist in understanding vegetation dynamics and the effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors at the urban scale, providing valuable insights for ecological management in metropolitan areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24001961Urban VegetationClimate ChangeLand Cover ChangeCO2 Fertilization EffectsRandom Forest
spellingShingle Daifei Huang
Sen Cao
Weiqing Zhao
Pengjun Zhao
Jiana Chen
Mengchen Yu
Zaichun Zhu
Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
Ecological Indicators
Urban Vegetation
Climate Change
Land Cover Change
CO2 Fertilization Effects
Random Forest
title Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
title_full Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
title_fullStr Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
title_full_unstemmed Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
title_short Urban greening amidst global change: A comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in China under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
title_sort urban greening amidst global change a comparative study of vegetation dynamics in two urban agglomerations in china under climatic and anthropogenic pressures
topic Urban Vegetation
Climate Change
Land Cover Change
CO2 Fertilization Effects
Random Forest
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24001961
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