The relationship evolution between urbanization and urban ecological resilience in the Northern Slope Economic Belt of Tianshan Mountains, China

Revealing the relationship between urbanization and urban ecological resilience (UER) is essential for high-quality urbanization and urban ecosystem sustainability. In this study, we evaluated the comprehensive urbanization level (CUL) and UER in the Northern Slope Economic Belt of Tianshan Mountains (NSEBTM), and analyzed the relationship evolution between CUL and UER using the Pearson correlation analysis, four-quadrant model and Markov transition matrix. The results showed that the overall CUL and UER in the NSEBTM gradually increased from 2005 to 2020 while presenting significant spatial heterogeneity. The distribution of CUL displayed a decrease from middle to both sides, and the UER in the western area was generally higher than that in the central and eastern areas. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between CUL and UER, with the number of double-high cities increasing whereas the number of double-low cities decreasing during the research period. Compared with the UER-lagging cities, the CUL-lagging cities faced more pressure to upgrade and develop the two systems coordinately. This paper provides a useful reference for analyzing the man-land relationship in arid regions and contributes to urban sustainable development.