Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China

Abstract The oasis serves as the central component of the arid ecosystem and plays a crucial role in supporting human activities. However, the ecological environment in the oasis region is fragile, and even a minor alteration in land use (LU) can significantly impact the stability of the ecosystem....

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Main Authors: Baisong An, Xuemei Wang, Xiaoyu Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79539-0
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author Baisong An
Xuemei Wang
Xiaoyu Huang
author_facet Baisong An
Xuemei Wang
Xiaoyu Huang
author_sort Baisong An
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The oasis serves as the central component of the arid ecosystem and plays a crucial role in supporting human activities. However, the ecological environment in the oasis region is fragile, and even a minor alteration in land use (LU) can significantly impact the stability of the ecosystem. Therefore, it is imperative to undertake comprehensive research on the spatio–temporal patterns of LU change in the oasis, reveal its driving factors, and predict future development. This is crucial for devising scientifically and logically sound land management strategies, upholding the equilibrium between humans and land in arid areas, and attaining sustainable development of the regional ecology and economy. This study focuses on the Weigan–Kuqa River Delta Oasis in China as the research area, analyzes the changes in LU in the oasis from 2010 to 2022 using various methods such as transition matrix, dynamic degree, intensity analysis, and center of gravity shift. The study also investigates the factors influencing these changes using the optimal parameters–based geographical detector (OPGD). Additionally, it predicts the future trends in LU development under four different scenarios using the mixed–cell cellular automata (MCCA), and illustrates distribution characteristics by combining Moran’s I index and hotspot analysis. The results suggest that: (1) Between 2010 and 2022, the LU in the oasis changed rapidly, with consistent increase in the amount of construction land, arable land, and garden land, while the amount of forest-grassland and unused land decreased overall. (2) Population density played a leading role in the changes, but soil type also had a significant impact. Over the course of time, the influence of roads and transportation has progressively increased. (3) Compared with 2022, the acreage of arable land, garden land, and construction land increases under the four future scenarios: natural development scenario (NDS), economic development scenario (EDS), cropland development scenario (CDS), and ecological protection scenario (EPS). However, the acreage of forest–grassland and unused land decrease. From a spatial perspective, large towns, the downstream of alluvial fans, and the central oasis are key areas where the distribution of hot spots and sub–hot spots of each LU type varies significantly among the four scenarios. The EPS provides a certain level of protection for forest-grassland areas and water bodies, making it the most appropriate development model for oases. These findings have the potential to offer valuable academic guidance for oasis land resource management and are crucial for achieving coordinated development at regional level.
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spelling doaj-art-dbe3ad42f1e042ada61dcffeaf0ffea72024-12-01T12:24:15ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114112310.1038/s41598-024-79539-0Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, ChinaBaisong An0Xuemei Wang1Xiaoyu Huang2College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal UniversityCollege of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal UniversityCollege of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal UniversityAbstract The oasis serves as the central component of the arid ecosystem and plays a crucial role in supporting human activities. However, the ecological environment in the oasis region is fragile, and even a minor alteration in land use (LU) can significantly impact the stability of the ecosystem. Therefore, it is imperative to undertake comprehensive research on the spatio–temporal patterns of LU change in the oasis, reveal its driving factors, and predict future development. This is crucial for devising scientifically and logically sound land management strategies, upholding the equilibrium between humans and land in arid areas, and attaining sustainable development of the regional ecology and economy. This study focuses on the Weigan–Kuqa River Delta Oasis in China as the research area, analyzes the changes in LU in the oasis from 2010 to 2022 using various methods such as transition matrix, dynamic degree, intensity analysis, and center of gravity shift. The study also investigates the factors influencing these changes using the optimal parameters–based geographical detector (OPGD). Additionally, it predicts the future trends in LU development under four different scenarios using the mixed–cell cellular automata (MCCA), and illustrates distribution characteristics by combining Moran’s I index and hotspot analysis. The results suggest that: (1) Between 2010 and 2022, the LU in the oasis changed rapidly, with consistent increase in the amount of construction land, arable land, and garden land, while the amount of forest-grassland and unused land decreased overall. (2) Population density played a leading role in the changes, but soil type also had a significant impact. Over the course of time, the influence of roads and transportation has progressively increased. (3) Compared with 2022, the acreage of arable land, garden land, and construction land increases under the four future scenarios: natural development scenario (NDS), economic development scenario (EDS), cropland development scenario (CDS), and ecological protection scenario (EPS). However, the acreage of forest–grassland and unused land decrease. From a spatial perspective, large towns, the downstream of alluvial fans, and the central oasis are key areas where the distribution of hot spots and sub–hot spots of each LU type varies significantly among the four scenarios. The EPS provides a certain level of protection for forest-grassland areas and water bodies, making it the most appropriate development model for oases. These findings have the potential to offer valuable academic guidance for oasis land resource management and are crucial for achieving coordinated development at regional level.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79539-0Land use changeDriving mechanismsOptimal parameters-based geographical detectorMulti-scenario predictionsMixed-cell cellular automataWeigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis
spellingShingle Baisong An
Xuemei Wang
Xiaoyu Huang
Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
Scientific Reports
Land use change
Driving mechanisms
Optimal parameters-based geographical detector
Multi-scenario predictions
Mixed-cell cellular automata
Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis
title Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
title_full Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
title_fullStr Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
title_full_unstemmed Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
title_short Changing characteristics, driving factors and future predictions of land use in the Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, China
title_sort changing characteristics driving factors and future predictions of land use in the weigan kuqa river delta oasis china
topic Land use change
Driving mechanisms
Optimal parameters-based geographical detector
Multi-scenario predictions
Mixed-cell cellular automata
Weigan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79539-0
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AT xiaoyuhuang changingcharacteristicsdrivingfactorsandfuturepredictionsoflanduseintheweigankuqariverdeltaoasischina