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Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (8): 1587-1600.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.508

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatiotemporal coupling coordination and driving factors of habitat quality and urbanization along the Great Wall

NIE Chengjing1,2(), LI Yadi1, LIU Fangtian1, HAN Fang1, GAO Xing1()   

  1. 1 School of Public Administration, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang 050061, Hebei, China
    2 Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Urban-Rural Integrated Development, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang 050061, Hebei, China
  • Received:2025-07-27 Revised:2025-09-23 Online:2026-08-25 Published:2026-08-21
  • Contact: GAO Xing E-mail:niechengjing@hueb.edu.cn;gaoxing@hueb.edu.cn

Abstract:

The coordinated development of urbanization and habitat quality is crucial for sustainable development, representing a core requirement for Chinese-style modernization. Focusing on 97 cities along the Great Wall from 2000 to 2020, this study integrates the InVEST model, coupling coordination model, and a spatiotemporal geographically weighted regression model to systematically analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of the coupling and coordination between habitat quality and urbanization. The results reveal the following: (1) Throughout the study period (2000—2020), the macropattern of habitat quality along the region remained relatively stable, exhibiting a “high in the east, low in the west” gradient distribution. Concurrently, urbanization presented a polarized spatial pattern, facilitating development within core urban agglomerations, such as Beijing-Tianjin and Zhengzhou, while driving broader regional development. (2) Temporally, the coupling and coordination degrees between habitat quality and urbanization exhibited a slow upward trend, although the overall level remained low. The relative development level of certain subregions progressed from a lagging phase to a synchronized or advanced stage. (3) Spatially, the coupling and coordination degree between habitat quality and urbanization manifested a distinct “high in the east, low in the west” differentiation, characterized by a significant regional imbalance of “high-high and low-low agglomerations”. Over time, the “middle collapse” phenomenon gradually eased, although the broader system evolution continued to exhibit pronounced path dependency. (4) The driving mechanisms of the established coupling and coordination were complex. Precipitation, economic development, technological innovation, and traffic density were key positive factors, with their marginal impacts exerting pronounced spatiotemporal heterogeneity across the region. Consequently, different regions must establish dynamic assessment and early-warning systems, formulating differentiated coordinated development strategies based on their local resource endowments and development stages to promote harmonious human-nature coexistence along the Great Wall.

Key words: habitat quality, urbanization, coupling coordination, along the Great Wall