Research on the Optimization of Regional Green Infrastructure Network

Abstract

With the rapid rate of urbanization, green infrastructure land is increasingly being converted to urban construction land, and the fragmentation of regional green infrastructure (GI) networks is intensifying. The connectivity of a GI network is of paramount importance for maintaining both regional biodiversity and regional ecosystem service capacity, among others. In this paper, an innovative approach to planning a GI network is presented. The proposed approach is based on the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) method, minimum path method, and circuit theory. Using the Zhengzhou–Kaifeng metropolitan area in China as a case study, we argue that the combination of the MSPA method and circuit theory can more fully and comprehensively identify the components of a GI network and its key areas. The methodology consists of three steps: (i) Identifying the cores and bridges of the GI by the MSPA method based on land use data, followed by determining the hubs of the GI network by assessing the connectivity of the core area; (ii) establishing potential connecting corridors between hubs by the minimum path method; (iii) identifying the “pinch point” area of the potential connecting corridors based on current density by applying circuit theory. This approach not only makes identification of the “hubs” and “links” in the green infrastructure network more scientific and comprehensive, but it also further identifies “pinch point” areas of the connecting corridors that require priority protection or recovery. The research results can be used as a practical reference for urban planners when planning urban land use.

Reverse Thinking: A New Method from the Graph Perspective for Evaluating and Mitigating Regional Surface Heat Islands

“…MSPA has been used in some fields, such as green infrastructure assessment and network optimization [46,47], ecosystem connectivity assessment [44], and forest conservation planning and management [42]. It is also used by government authorities, such as the Department of Agriculture Forest Service, United States and the European Commission [46].…”

Vegetation trends associated with urban development: The role of golf courses

“…This method describes the spatial and temporal configuration of the ecosystem at the pixel level [30], which was based on the concept of "habitat availability" and "graphic theory" [51,52] in which the landscape is considered as a collection of nodes, and links with a node is a place where connectivity exists and will depend on the width of itself. The output of the MSPA analysis includes the seven structural categories into which habitats are divided, including core, edge, perforation, bridge, loop, branch and islet [53] and [54] and is summarized in Table 1.…”

A Framework for Optimizing Green Infrastructure Networks Based on Landscape Connectivity and Ecosystem Services

“…The essential issue of its planning is to determine the elements and layout of the GI network [13]. Since the "Maryland Green Map Program" was launched in the United States, many theories and technologies have been used in the explore GI network construction, including overlay analysis methods, spatial analysis methods, graph-based analysis methods, and morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), among others [9,[14][15][16]. In recent years, there has been increasing research on building GI networks based on ecosystem services [17][18][19][20][21].…”