Impact Factor:5.0

DOI Number:10.1029/2026GL124333

Journal:Geophysical Research Letters

Abstract:Accurately characterizing grid-level vegetation dynamics in urban agglomerations remains challenging due to high spatial heterogeneity and complex temporal responses to urbanization. We developed a threshold-free clustering framework that integrates the LinCoIndex and structural similarity (SSIM) index to address this issue. Applied to the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China, it reveals three findings that challenge conventional threshold approaches: (1) L-shaped urbanization-driven browning in new urban areas versus V-shaped policy-linked greening in urban cores, with a browning-to-greening transition around 2009–2011; (2) low-vegetation footprints occupying only 30–58% of urbanized area while impervious surface plus annual peak vegetation exceeds 100%; (3) above-impervious canopy increasing from 10% to 48% through tree planting and high-rise building restrictions, enabling the region to meet China's 43% urban vegetation coverage target. These results indicate that coordinated greening interventions can offset net vegetation loss under sustained urbanization pressure.

All the Authors:谢佳辰,汪宁

First Author:谢志清

Indexed by:Journal paper

Correspondence Author:杜银

Document Code:10.1029/2026GL124333

Discipline:Natural Science

Volume:53

Issue:18

Translation or Not:no

Date of Publication:2026-09-11

Included Journals:SCI

Publication links:https://doi.org/10.1029/ 2026GL124333