Spatio‐temporal pattern and driving mechanisms of land use conflicts changes (2010–2018) in the Bohai Rim transition zone

Abstract With the rapid development of society and economy in the coastal regions, conflicts between ecological protection and human exploitation are inevitable. However, previous studies on the Spatio‐temporal evolution of conflicts in the coastal transition zone are insufficient, and the majority ignore the dependence of data on space. This study constructed a multi‐objective evaluation model from three angles (ecological, agriculture, and construction). It evaluated the dynamics of land use conflicts (LUCs) in the Bohai Rim transition zone for 2010, 2015, and 2018 at 30 m 2 spatial resolution using the multi‐factor superposition method. The driving mechanism of LUCs was explored from the perspectives of natural and socio‐economic by applying the spatial econometric method. Major findings of this study indicated that there was a critical Spatio‐temporal mismatch in the spatial distribution of three types of land suitability around the Bohai Sea from 2010 to 2018. On the grid scale, an estimated LUCs area in 2010 was 1.21 × 10 5 km 2 , which decreased to 1.20 × 10 5 km 2 in 2018. On the country scale, the conflict index displayed a polarized spatial distribution of “high in the south and low in the north,” and its spatial disparity showed a narrowing trend. Moreover, LUC types showed different change characteristics along the sea‐land direction. It ought to be noticed that the spatial clustering pattern of LUCs resulted from the combined action of various factors. This study's logical framework and outcomes could be utilized for formulating reasonable land use patterns to reduce the LUCs in the coastal transition zone.