Impacts of urban-rural integration on landscape patterns and their implications for landscape sustainability: The case of Changsha, China

ContextLandscape patterns result from complex social-ecological interactions, such as urban-rural integration which is especially notable in China. However, the impacts of urban-rural integration on landscape sustainability remain understudied.ObjectivesOur objectives were to examine the impacts of urban-rural integration on landscape patterns and to explore its implications for landscape sustainability.MethodsThe study area is the Changsha metropolitan area in central China, which has undergone urban-rural integration since 2005. A three-step approach was used to (1) assess the spatiotemporal patterns of urban-rural integration dynamics with a multidimensional indicator system, (2) quantify landscape pattern dynamics using landscape metrics, and (3) explore the main drivers and processes involved in urban-rural integration responsible for the observed changes in landscape patterns through a time-fixed effects model.ResultsOur findings reveal a significant increase in the level of urban-rural integration in the Changsha metropolitan area from 2005 to 2020. Concurrently, the regional landscape has experienced increasing trends characterized by the loss and fragmentation of natural and agricultural patches, as well as heightened connectivity among constructed patches. Urban-rural integration exerts notable impacts on landscape patterns through processes such as societal convergence, economic interaction, technology sharing, and spatial interlinkage, subsequently influencing landscape (un)sustainability.ConclusionsThe different drivers and processes of urban-rural integration have varying effects on landscape patterns, with complex and intertwined impacts on landscape sustainability. Therefore, integrated landscape governance is imperative for addressing the disadvantages of urban-rural integration while strategically leveraging its advantages in various social-ecological contexts.