Development and Application of a Research Methodology for Landscape Ecological Risks in Resource-Based Cities in Geomorphological Transition Zones: A Case Study of Luoyang

Abstract

Addressing issues in the study of landscape ecological risks in resource-based cities within geomorphological transition zones—such as the lack of regional adaptability in traditional methods, imprecise characterization of spatial coupling mechanisms, and the absence of long-term dynamic analysis—this study takes Luoyang, a typical resource-based city located in the mountainous-hilly-plain transition zone of western Henan, as its research subject. A comprehensive research methodology system comprising “data preprocessing—application of core methods—mechanism analysis—results validation” is established. By comprehensively applying core methods such as land-use transition matrices, landscape pattern indices, region-adaptive landscape ecological risk indices, and bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis, and integrating long-term time-series data with multi-source data fusion techniques, this study achieves a precise characterization of land-use evolution, landscape pattern dynamics, spatiotemporal differentiation of ecological risks, and their coupling mechanisms. The study demonstrates that the constructed methodological framework effectively accommodates the dual characteristics of complex topography and the transformation of resource-based cities, overcoming the limitations of traditional single-method approaches. The synergistic interaction of these methods not only ensures the scientific rigor and accuracy of the research findings but also highlights the distinctive features of regional studies. This framework can serve as a methodological reference and a paradigm for research on landscape ecological risks in similar topographic transition zones and resource-based cities.