Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins

Surface water bodies are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems and play critical roles in sustainable development. Coastal-zone basins (CZBs), shaped by human activity and land–sea interactions, have undergone rapid urban expansion, landscape fragmentation, wetland degradation, and increase...

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Main Authors: Liumeng Chen, Yongchao Liu, Jialin Li, Chao Ying, Peng Tian, Wenfei Kuang, Qiyu Huang, Tian Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Ecological Informatics
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125000986
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author Liumeng Chen
Yongchao Liu
Jialin Li
Chao Ying
Peng Tian
Wenfei Kuang
Qiyu Huang
Tian Zheng
author_facet Liumeng Chen
Yongchao Liu
Jialin Li
Chao Ying
Peng Tian
Wenfei Kuang
Qiyu Huang
Tian Zheng
author_sort Liumeng Chen
collection DOAJ
description Surface water bodies are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems and play critical roles in sustainable development. Coastal-zone basins (CZBs), shaped by human activity and land–sea interactions, have undergone rapid urban expansion, landscape fragmentation, wetland degradation, and increased flood risk. However, comprehensive analyses of surface water dynamics in coastal zones on a continental scale are limited. This study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of surface water in Europe's CZBs, a region with a long history of development. The water bodies were classified into five types: weak seasonal water bodies (WSWBs), seasonal water bodies (SWBs), weak permanent water bodies (WPWBs), strong permanent water bodies (SPWBs), and permanent water bodies (PWBs). Using Landsat remote-sensing imagery from 1984 to 2023, we assessed the intensity of water-body transformations. WSWBs dominated the surface water composition, accounting for 76.94 % of the total, with concentrated patches in the eastern CZBs and sporadic distributions in the west. PWBs, comprising only 1.35 %, were primarily located in the Balkan, Apennine, and Iberian Peninsulas, and the western European plains. Between 1984 and 2023, the total surface water area exhibited a fluctuating decline, with PWBs, SWBs, and WPWBs decreasing by 97.2, 96.1, and 87 %, respectively. Conversely, SPWBs and WSWBs increased by 54.8 and 67.7 %, respectively. The degree of fragmentation varied over time, with higher fragmentation observed on the northern Iberian Peninsula, northwestern European plains, central Apennine Peninsula, and southern Balkan Peninsula. This study provides essential data for supporting biodiversity conservation, water resource management, and sustainable coastal development.
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spelling doaj-art-cbe6775eb7f14ce8b96541672feff57d2025-08-20T02:13:11ZengElsevierEcological Informatics1574-95412025-07-018710308910.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103089Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basinsLiumeng Chen0Yongchao Liu1Jialin Li2Chao Ying3Peng Tian4Wenfei Kuang5Qiyu Huang6Tian Zheng7Donghai Institute, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources, Nanjing 210017, Jiangsu, China; Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDonghai Institute, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Exploitation and Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources, Nanjing 210017, Jiangsu, China; Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Corresponding author at: Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China.Donghai Institute, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDonghai Institute, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDonghai Institute, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDepartment of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDepartment of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaDepartment of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaSurface water bodies are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems and play critical roles in sustainable development. Coastal-zone basins (CZBs), shaped by human activity and land–sea interactions, have undergone rapid urban expansion, landscape fragmentation, wetland degradation, and increased flood risk. However, comprehensive analyses of surface water dynamics in coastal zones on a continental scale are limited. This study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of surface water in Europe's CZBs, a region with a long history of development. The water bodies were classified into five types: weak seasonal water bodies (WSWBs), seasonal water bodies (SWBs), weak permanent water bodies (WPWBs), strong permanent water bodies (SPWBs), and permanent water bodies (PWBs). Using Landsat remote-sensing imagery from 1984 to 2023, we assessed the intensity of water-body transformations. WSWBs dominated the surface water composition, accounting for 76.94 % of the total, with concentrated patches in the eastern CZBs and sporadic distributions in the west. PWBs, comprising only 1.35 %, were primarily located in the Balkan, Apennine, and Iberian Peninsulas, and the western European plains. Between 1984 and 2023, the total surface water area exhibited a fluctuating decline, with PWBs, SWBs, and WPWBs decreasing by 97.2, 96.1, and 87 %, respectively. Conversely, SPWBs and WSWBs increased by 54.8 and 67.7 %, respectively. The degree of fragmentation varied over time, with higher fragmentation observed on the northern Iberian Peninsula, northwestern European plains, central Apennine Peninsula, and southern Balkan Peninsula. This study provides essential data for supporting biodiversity conservation, water resource management, and sustainable coastal development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125000986Surface waterLandsat imagePatterns and structuresSpatiotemporal dynamicsCoastal-zone basins
spellingShingle Liumeng Chen
Yongchao Liu
Jialin Li
Chao Ying
Peng Tian
Wenfei Kuang
Qiyu Huang
Tian Zheng
Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
Ecological Informatics
Surface water
Landsat image
Patterns and structures
Spatiotemporal dynamics
Coastal-zone basins
title Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
title_full Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
title_fullStr Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
title_full_unstemmed Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
title_short Divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in Europe's coastal-zone basins
title_sort divergent dynamics of surface water patterns and structures in europe s coastal zone basins
topic Surface water
Landsat image
Patterns and structures
Spatiotemporal dynamics
Coastal-zone basins
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954125000986
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