Sustainable futures for transformational forestry resource-based city: Linking landscape pattern and administrative policy

Abstract

Forestry resource-based cities facing resource depletion urgently require development transformation. Administrative policies, including administrative division adjustments and forest protection policies, play a crucial role through the strategic allocation and regulation of resources, fostering sustainable development models to balance ecological preservation with economic revitalization. However, the impact of these administrative policies on transformational forestry resource-based cities remains insufficiently explored. This paper employed the PLUS model to simulate and forecast landscape patterns under different policy scenarios, and explored the interactive mechanisms between administrative policies and landscape patterns during the transformation process. Our findings highlight a significant bidirectional relationship where administrative policies influence the sustainable development of forestry resource-based cities. The administrative division adjustment created space for ecological development in degraded areas, and emphasized intensive and efficient development in upgraded areas, which helps to enhance the aggregation of major landscape patches. This paper provides valuable insights into crafting effective policies to achieve sustainable development of transformational forestry resource-based city.