%0 Journal Article %A HUANG Ning1 %A 2 %A LIN Tao3 %A ZHANG Weijie4 %A CAO Yinglan1 %A 2 %T Gradient Analysis and Comparison of Landscape Pattern along Different |Expansion Axes of Tong’an District in Xiamen City %D 2009 %R 10.11820/dlkxjz.2009.05.015 %J PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY %P 767-774 %V 28 %N 5 %X

Study on changes of landscape pattern gradient along urban expansion axis and their drivers is an ideal way to understand the urbanization process and mechanism that affect landscape dynamics. Tong’an District of Xiamen has expanded obviously along Tongji Road to Jimei District and the 324 National Road to Xiang’an District in decades. Combining gradient analysis with landscape pattern metrics, we analyzed the changes of landscape pattern gradients along Tongji Road with a 12-km long and 3-km wide transect and along the 324 National Road with a 9-km long and 3-km wide transect, by using moving window technique, and made comparisons between them. The results showed that, at class-level, most landscape metrics along Tongji Road were significantly influenced by urbanization process, while those along the 324 National Road were not. At landscape-level, urbanization along Tongji Road resulted in increases in landscape shape complexity and fragmentation, but decreases in landscape diversity. The  uniformly coexistent pattern of the diverse landscapes was converted to an urban landscape dominant pattern. However, along the 324 National Road, urbanization did not obviously affect landscape shape complexity and fragmentation, but increased landscape diversity. The cultivated landscape dominant pattern was converted to a diverse landscape uniformly coexistent pattern. Urbanization level was the key factor that led to the changes in difference between the two urban expansion axes. Results showed that urbanization level along Tongji Road was intermediate but that was primary along the 324 National Road. Other factors also caused landscape pattern gradient changes. Urbanization level of neighboring area, urban construction layout pattern and characteristics of natural landscape in the study area influenced the range and the peak value occurrence of landscape pattern gradient changes.

%U https://www.progressingeography.com/EN/10.11820/dlkxjz.2009.05.015