Land Use and Land Cover Change Dynamics and Driving Mechanisms in Luoyang City During the Recent 40 Years

This study seeks to examine the spatio-temporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of Impervious Land in Luoyang City over the past 40 years, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for guiding rational spatial layout and facilitating sustainable development. Leveraging Landsat remote sensing imagery of Luoyang City spanning 1985-2020, a comprehensive set of analytical approaches-including centroid migration analysis, land use transfer matrix, landscape metrics, and expansion intensity index-were employed, integrated with the PLUS model for driving mechanism elucidation. (1) Over the 40-year study period, Impervious Land in Luoyang City underwent a net expansion of 753.61 km2, predominantly derived from the conversion of cropland; (2) Key landscape metrics (Percentage of Landscape, Largest Patch Index, Mean Patch Area, and Cohesion Index) increased significantly, accompanied by a reduction in landscape fragmentation; (3) The centroid of Impervious Land underwent a northeastward migration; (4) The overall expansion intensity index was 4.25%, exhibiting substantial spatial heterogeneity across districts and counties. From 1985 to 2020, the evolution of Impervious Land in Luoyang City was synergistically driven by natural factors (elevation/slope) and socioeconomic factors (GDP/population/road density). The Impervious Land exhibited a sustained expanding trend, with its spatial pattern exhibiting a concentration tendency.