Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades

In the face of rapid infrastructure expansion and escalating anthropogenic activities, it becomes imperative to prioritize the examination of long-term transformations in land cover and ecological quality within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We developed an ecological evaluation system integra...

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Main Authors: Shu’an Liu, Tianle Sun, Philippe Ciais, Huifang Zhang, Junjun Fang, Jingchun Fang, Tewekel Melese Gemechu, Baozhang Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Remote Sensing
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/8/1467
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author Shu’an Liu
Tianle Sun
Philippe Ciais
Huifang Zhang
Junjun Fang
Jingchun Fang
Tewekel Melese Gemechu
Baozhang Chen
author_facet Shu’an Liu
Tianle Sun
Philippe Ciais
Huifang Zhang
Junjun Fang
Jingchun Fang
Tewekel Melese Gemechu
Baozhang Chen
author_sort Shu’an Liu
collection DOAJ
description In the face of rapid infrastructure expansion and escalating anthropogenic activities, it becomes imperative to prioritize the examination of long-term transformations in land cover and ecological quality within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We developed an ecological evaluation system integrating the land cover data assimilation framework (LCDAF) with the InVEST model to accomplish this goal. The LCDAF compensates for the disadvantages of weather interference, difficulty in recognizing complex scenes, and poor generalization in remote sensing image classification, and also adds temporal continuity that other fusion methods do not have. The synthesized land cover dataset demonstrates superior overall accuracy compared to five existing global products. This enhanced dataset provides a robust foundation for comprehensive analysis and decision making within the ecological evaluation system. We implemented a rigorous and quantitative assessment of changes in land cover and habitat quality spanning 1980 to 2020. The land cover analysis unveiled a noteworthy trend that surfaced in the dynamic interplay between forested areas and croplands, highlighting simultaneous processes of forest restoration and agricultural expansion, albeit at varying rates. Further analysis of habitat quality showed that the GMS generally sustained a moderate level with a slight downward trend observed over the period. Significantly, Laos attained the highest ranking in habitat quality, succeeded by Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. In human factors, land use intensity and landscape fragmentation emerge as contributors with detrimental effects on habitat quality. Substantial progress was achieved in implementing forestland conservation measures, exemplified in regions such as Cambodia and Guangxi Province of China, where these endeavors proved effective in mitigating habitat degradation. Despite these positive endeavors, the GMS’s overall habitat quality did not significantly improve. It emphasizes the enduring challenges confronted by the region in terms of ecological management and habitat conservation.
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spelling doaj-art-e3596bebad1b41678f4692a25f7318f02025-08-20T02:28:20ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-04-01178146710.3390/rs17081467Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four DecadesShu’an Liu0Tianle Sun1Philippe Ciais2Huifang Zhang3Junjun Fang4Jingchun Fang5Tewekel Melese Gemechu6Baozhang Chen7School of Remote Sensing and Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaShenzhen Environmental Monitoring Center of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen 518049, ChinaLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceState Key Laboratory of Resource and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Resource and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Resource and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaSchool of Remote Sensing and Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaSchool of Remote Sensing and Geomatics Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, ChinaIn the face of rapid infrastructure expansion and escalating anthropogenic activities, it becomes imperative to prioritize the examination of long-term transformations in land cover and ecological quality within the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). We developed an ecological evaluation system integrating the land cover data assimilation framework (LCDAF) with the InVEST model to accomplish this goal. The LCDAF compensates for the disadvantages of weather interference, difficulty in recognizing complex scenes, and poor generalization in remote sensing image classification, and also adds temporal continuity that other fusion methods do not have. The synthesized land cover dataset demonstrates superior overall accuracy compared to five existing global products. This enhanced dataset provides a robust foundation for comprehensive analysis and decision making within the ecological evaluation system. We implemented a rigorous and quantitative assessment of changes in land cover and habitat quality spanning 1980 to 2020. The land cover analysis unveiled a noteworthy trend that surfaced in the dynamic interplay between forested areas and croplands, highlighting simultaneous processes of forest restoration and agricultural expansion, albeit at varying rates. Further analysis of habitat quality showed that the GMS generally sustained a moderate level with a slight downward trend observed over the period. Significantly, Laos attained the highest ranking in habitat quality, succeeded by Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. In human factors, land use intensity and landscape fragmentation emerge as contributors with detrimental effects on habitat quality. Substantial progress was achieved in implementing forestland conservation measures, exemplified in regions such as Cambodia and Guangxi Province of China, where these endeavors proved effective in mitigating habitat degradation. Despite these positive endeavors, the GMS’s overall habitat quality did not significantly improve. It emphasizes the enduring challenges confronted by the region in terms of ecological management and habitat conservation.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/8/1467habitat qualityland use/land cover changesdata assimilationthe Greater Mekong Subregion
spellingShingle Shu’an Liu
Tianle Sun
Philippe Ciais
Huifang Zhang
Junjun Fang
Jingchun Fang
Tewekel Melese Gemechu
Baozhang Chen
Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
Remote Sensing
habitat quality
land use/land cover changes
data assimilation
the Greater Mekong Subregion
title Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
title_full Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
title_fullStr Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
title_full_unstemmed Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
title_short Assessing Habitat Quality on Synergetic Land-Cover Dataset Across the Greater Mekong Subregion over the Last Four Decades
title_sort assessing habitat quality on synergetic land cover dataset across the greater mekong subregion over the last four decades
topic habitat quality
land use/land cover changes
data assimilation
the Greater Mekong Subregion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/8/1467
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