Changes in Forest Spatial Patterns Based on Source-sink Principle

[Objective] The mechanism underlying the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of regional forest cover was studied by using the source-sink landscape principle in order to provide a basis for decision-making regarding forest resource conservation. [Methods] We collected datasets of land use/cover change (LUCC), digital elevation model (DEM), and road traffic in Fujian Province for 2010 and 2020, and identified landscapes (i.e., source landscapes and sink landscapes) that either promoted or prevented/delayed forest loss. The comprehensive location-weighted landscape contrast index (LCI′) was calculated by integrating three landscape spatial elements (elevation, slope, and distance). The spatial pattern change of forest loss in Fujian Province was systematically determined at the provincial and city scales. [Results] At the provincial scale, LCI′ was 0.117 and 0.152 in 2010 and 2020, respectively. The source landscape contributed more to forest loss, and the most influential of the spatial elements of the landscape was distance, followed by slope and elevation. There were differences in calculated LCI′ at the city scale, with relatively small LCI′ in Nanping, Sanming, and Longyan (<0) and large LCI′ in Fuzhou, Putian, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Zhangzhou (>0). The LCI′ of all cities in Fujian Province in 2020 had increased slightly since 2010, with Fuzhou having the largest increase (0.070) and a more dramatic forest loss relative to other cities. [Conclusion] There have been different degrees of forest loss in various regions of Fujian Province during the last decade. The LCI′ combined the landscape pattern with process, and effectively reflected changes in forest spatial patterns in Fujian Province from 2010 to 2020.