Abstract:

Changes in landscape composition demonstrated apparent spatial variations in urbanization process.Consequently,hotspots were formed in the landscape locations with relatively rapid changing rates.Settlement growth hotspots were the most active location of landscape changes in the process of urbanization.The main aim of this study was to explore the influencing factors of landscape change hotspots.We used the Landsat TM images in 2003,2006 and 2011,spatial analysis and neighborhood analysis techniques to extract the settlement growth hotspots in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province at three observation scales of 13 km.Logistic regression was used to identify the landscape factors that influence the formation of settlement growth hotspots.The results showed that the spatial pattern of settlement growth hotspots varied significantly by study period,presenting the trend from a scattered to a relatively aggregated pattern.The analysis of land use composition in the hotspot and nonhotspot areas at the outset of the study periods showed that settlement growth hotspots tended to occur in the locations with relatively high cover of cropland and low cover of settlement within,while the opposite land use composition in the neighborhood.The presence of hotspots could be together affected by land use,landscape location and socioeconomic conditions,with obvious scaledependent features.Also,such hotspots took into formation in proximity of builtup urban areas and main roads,with relatively high cover of cropland and settlement,high per capita GDP,and low population density.The factor of nearest distant to main mountains and to the Yangtze River played exactly opposite role in different period of urbanization.To reveal the pattern of the landscape hotspots， its dominant factors had essential theoretical and practical significance for urban planning guide.Our results could have important implications on better understandings of urbanization,and decision making in land management practices