No abstract

The linking of ecosystem service flows (ESFs) with urban land management is still in its nascent stage. The spatial process modeling of ESFs plays a crucial role in establishing connections between urban land sustainability and human benefits. However, the spatial processes and driving mechanisms associated with urban cooling services (UCS) remain ambiguous. In this study, we selected the area within the 6th Ring Road of Beijing as the study area, where the population is highly concentrated and the urban greenery is relatively developed. We modeled the spatial processes of cooling service flow (UCSF) in this area and elucidated the contribution of landscape patterns to UCSF. Firstly, the cooling capacity, referred to as UCS, of the urban blue–green landscape, was estimated using the InVEST tool. Subsequently, the UCSF spatial process was simulated by employing a two-dimensional Gaussian function at the pixel level. In order to characterize the landscape features in the study area, eight landscape indices were selected, and Fragstats v4.2 was employed for their calculation. Finally, GeoDetector was utilized to explore the driving mechanisms of landscape patterns on UCSF. The predominant area for both UCS and UCSF lies between the 5th and 6th Ring Road in Beijing, exhibiting a declining trend from the 6th Ring Road toward the city center. The UCSF coverage area, which represents the beneficiary area, accounted for approximately 87.78% of the study area, with the largest increase occurring within the 2nd Ring Road. The Landscape Shape Index demonstrated the strongest individual contribution to UCSF, while its combined bivariate contribution was significant. Geometry exerted a greater influence on UCSF compared to landscape scale and spatial configuration. This study presents novel insights for assessing the omnidirectional flow of ESFs through the modeling of flow functions. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for sustainable urban landscape management and planning.

Urban expansion occurs in horizontal and vertical directions, but the construction process of a traditional planar ecological network (EN) ignores the ecological protection of the vertical space. Birds, as representative species in urbanized areas, are important for expanding the vertical analysis dimension of ENs. In this study, urban parks with good habitat quality were extracted as ecological sources from the perspective of birds. Then, 2D and 3D ecological resistance surfaces were constructed on the basis of the perspective of influencing bird migration, and planar and 3D ecological corridors were extracted and compared for analysis. Finally, accessibility analysis was performed to identify the parks in the study area that need priority protection. Results show that building height is an important factor affecting bird migration, and the introduction of 3D resistance surfaces into EN construction is important for adapting to the trend of vertical urban expansion. The combination of accessibility and EN analyses can help identify ecological spaces having the dual role of “species conservation” and “human well-being enhancement.” This study can provide a reference for refining the service species of ENs, exploring the vertical dimension of ENs, and improving the health of urban ecosystems and the rationality of urban planning.

Urban expansion occurs in horizontal and vertical directions, but the traditional planar ecological network (EN)’s construction process ignores the vertical space’s ecological protection. Birds, as representative species in urbanized areas, are important for expanding the vertical analysis dimension of ENs. In this study, urban parks with good habitat quality are extracted as ecological sources from the perspective of birds. Then, 2D and 3D ecological resistance surfaces are constructed on the basis of the perspective of influencing bird migration, and planar and 3D ecological corridors are extracted and compared for analysis. Lastly, accessibility analysis is performed to identify the parks in the study area that need priority protection. Results show that building height is an important factor affecting bird migration, and the introduction of 3D resistance surfaces into EN construction is important for adapting to the trend of vertical urban expansion. The combination of accessibility and EN analyses can help identify ecological spaces with the dual role of “species conservation” and “human well-being enhancement.” This study can provide a reference for refining the service species of ENs, exploring the vertical dimension of ENs, and improving the health of urban ecosystems and the rationality of urban planning.