A novel spatial heterogeneity decay model for depicting scale-effects in urban land
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The variation in geographical feature characteristics with observational scale, known as the scale-effect, presents a fundamental challenge in geography and remote sensing. However, the quantitative characterization of the scale-effect in the spatial heterogeneity of urban land (SHUL) remains underexplored. This study systematically investigates the scale-effect of SHUL using 79 Chinese cities as empirical samples. A semi-variogram function was employed to quantify SHUL across multiple spatial scales, revealing an exponential decay pattern. To model this phenomenon, we propose a scale-effect model that effectively captures the decay dynamics of SHUL. The model demonstrated strong performance, achieving an average goodness-of-fit (R2 = 0.944) across the 79 cities. Based on the scale-effect model, we derived characteristic indicators (maximum, minimum, fluctuation, and rate of decay) of the SHUL scale-effect and compared their variation across Chinese cities. Furthermore, we discuss the scale-effect mechanism, potential application pathways, and prospects for global generalization. The proposed scale-effect model offers valuable insights and a methodological reference for the cross-scale transformation of urban data.
Source: GIScience & Remote Sensing
Authors: Weilin Wang, Rong Wang, Yangyang Lu, Yuanyuan Meng, Zhou Zhou
Institutions: Hunan Agricultural University, Chongqing University
Language: English
Topic: Remote Sensing and Land Use
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,390
OpenAlex ID: W4417530487