Employing RS and Landscape Ecology Indicators in Measuring the Changes of Landscape Patterns in Low Carbon Eco-City Planning

Promoting sustainable landscape planning has become an important policy goal in China. However, how and to what extent can the spatial patterns and changes of landscape in the urban fringe areas be systematically identified and managed is a critical research issue which requires in-depth research investigation. Using the pilot study region of the proposed Shenzhen low carbon eco-city as a case setting, this study explicitly examines the changes of landscape patterns by using Remote Sensing (RS) and selected landscape metrics. The result shows that there is a trend of decrease in green space parches and an increase in landscape fragmentation of the study region. The overall structure of green space in the region is also affected by urbanization and industrial development of the region. Considering the fact that the structure and diversity of landscape and green space are important for building an eco-city, the results reveal that more comprehensive green space policies and urban policies that preserve important ecological patches and corridors should be developed to enhance the overall ecological function of the region.