Research on Human Settlement Landscapes Evolution of Coastal Sedimentary Islands:A Case Study Based on Nansan Island in Guangdong
PAN Ying
WU Yike
SHI Ying
Abstract：Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed the strategic building of a maritime power,islands,as an important component of marine ecosystems and human settlement landscapes,have become a key focus for deeply implementing the strategy,adhering to the concept of land-sea integrated development and accelerating the construction of a maritime power.Sedimentary islands are one of the four major island types in Guangdong,most of which lie along the coast.According to their distribution,sedimentary islands can be divided into two types,estuarine and coastal,and the development methods employed for each type differ.Studying the human settlement landscape evolution and human-environment interaction pattern of coastal sedimentary islands is of great significance in creating a good living environment and achieving the sustainable development of islands.
Combining ArcGIS software and an interdisciplinary research paradigm that integrates marine geography,marine ecology,and historical geography,this study classified the space on Nanshan Island,Guangdong Province,on the macro scale based on"production-living-ecological"theory and national standards of land use status classification according to the natural base and human development history.Moreover,the"production-living-ecological"landscape evolution characteristics of the island were analyzed through a land transfer matrix.On a meso scale,the evolutionary differences of settlements on the island were analyzed through type division based on spatial indicators,namely,the village expansion rate and village compactness.
Five major stages of human settlement landscape evolution on Nansan Island were clarified from a diachronic perspective.The evolutionary characteristics of the island's"production-living-ecological"landscape at the macro level and the development differences between the two typical types of villages at the meso level were analyzed.Furthermore,the evolution laws were summarized.The common relationship of"close connection with human activities and rapid response of the natural environment"in the human-environment interaction of coastal sedimentary islands was analyzed by introducing the"pressure-state-response"theory.Three environmental responses in human-environment interaction were determined:"ecological backlash after reclamation and expansion,peaking and retraction after aquaculture expansion,and settlement decline under the dual pressure of ecology and economy."Furthermore,the study identified the socioeconomic factors that influence human-environment interaction,such as demand orientation,policy guidance,capital flow,industrial transformation,and population change.By revealing the essence of the human-land relationship and the evolutionary characteristics of the human settlement environment on coastal sedimentary islands,this study is expected to provide a reference for future development strategy research on similar islands.
Coastal sedimentary islands have generally experienced two stages of expansion:agricultural and aquacultural.They are now in the third stage,where external capital,population changes,and regional policies are jointly driving island development toward tourism and port-related industries,modern urban construction,and ecological remediation.However,these islands still face ecological threats,difficulties in industrial upgrading,and population loss.The future development of tourism and other industries also faces potential risks,such as ecological damage,homogenization of human settlement landscapes,and capital shortages.Future studies should focus on learning from past experiences and taking feasible measures to protect characteristic settlement landscapes,balance island ecology and production,and mitigate the impact of climate disasters.Research on enhancing the anti-interference ability of island human settlement landscapes from the perspective of a resilience community cross-island comparison,and simulating and predicting the long-term impact of climate change on island landscapes are directions that can be expanded in future research on coastal sedimentary islands.
Keywords：landscape evolutionisland human settlement landscapesedimentary islandsNansan Islandsman-land relationship
Publication Date：2026-02-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-13(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：11( 10-20 )