Spatial scaling of land use/land cover and ecosystem services across urban hierarchical levels: patterns and relationships

Context Land use/land cover (LULC) patterns seriously affect ecosystem services (ESs), especially in highly developed urban agglomerations. Exploring how LULC and ESs change spatially across urban hierarchical levels and understanding the possible mechanisms can promote the sustainable planning of urban landscapes. Objectives By mapping the spatial patterns of LULC and ESs in the three largest urban agglomerations of China, this study aimed to (1) identify the scaling relations of LULC and ESs across different urban hierarchical levels, (2) explore the possible mechanisms of these two types of spatial scaling, and (3) examine how the scaling relations of ESs relate to LULC and the policy implications. Methods Based on LULC, we used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and other biophysical models to quantify ES indicators. Then, scalograms were used to quantify the scaling relations of LULC and ESs with respect to changing spatial extent. Results Developed land and cropland exhibited the most predictable responses with changing spatial extent. Compared to other ESs, provisioning services were the most predictable. The predictable scaling relations of ESs at different urban hierarchical levels fell into two general types: power laws at the city proper level and exponential relationships at the metropolitan region and urban agglomeration levels. Conclusions The scaling relations of both LULC and ESs varied across urban hierarchical levels. The spatial scaling of ESs was closely related to LULC patterns. Integrating the scaling relations of ESs into land use planning can help decision-makers formulate multi-scale landscape conservation strategies.