Spatial Simulation of Land-Use Development of Feixi County, China, Based on Optimized Productive–Living–Ecological Functions

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript title:

The title does not provide sufficient methodological nor research problem and analysis words. Subsequently, I suggest inserting the word “LANDUSE” in the title as follows:

“Spatial simulation of Land use Development of Feixi County, China, Based on Optimized Productive-Living-Ecological Functions” or another title similar to this.

 

The Abstract

There are essential keys missing from this manuscript’s abstract particularly the implemented algorithm and techniques. The Author(s) should insert a couple of sentences to indicate the advantages of utilizing such algorithms.

Introduction

Several key research studies are missing from the related literature review and therefore, the introduction must be rewritten and additional research be inserted particularly the conducted research on spatial simulation and modelling of LULC utilizing GIS based Markov Chain and image processing outside China. Accordingly, the authors should cite the following studies:

• Monitoring land use and land cover changes in the mountainous cities of Oman using GIS and CA-Markov modelling techniques. Land Use Policy, 91, 104414.
• Simulating land use/land cover change in an arid region with the coupling models. Ecological Indicators, 122, 107231.
• Integrating remote sensing and a markov-FLUS model to simulate future land use changes in Hokkaido, Japan. Remote Sensing, 13(13), 2621.

Overall, the authors should expand the introduction particularly the literature review which requires improvement. Consequently, it is necessary to develop a couple of paragraphs in which the authors should critically represent the research gap and how publishing this study will bridge this gap and contribute to the existing literature (even if it has been written in the last paragraph of the conclusion). 

The study area

• The population structure and demographic characteristics are missing from the study are. The authors should mention demographic development of Feixi County since it has a direct impact on land use changes.
• Figure 1 and figure 2 should be combined in only one figure which represents the location of the study area relevant to Anhui Province and China.

Data Source

• In table 1 the source of each driving factor should be written. The authors have done this in the preceding text while they should insert the sources in the table.
• Section “3 Identification and classification of P-L-E functional areas in Feixi County” should be mentioned as data processing.
• Table 2 and 3 should be reorganized.

Material and methods

• The writing of factors, drivers and techniques was not organized enough which makes it hard for the reader to follow the flaw of the research. Additionally, several tables have been created most of them represent data sources. Therefore, the author(s) should separate the explanatory variables from the implemented techniques.
• The maps of FLUS model should be recreated considering increasing the resolution and improving the quality. For example, “Figure 5. FLUS model constraint area” the map is very small and thus all local features are not clearly represented.
• Is Table 10 required to be in the method section? Have the authors used all the formula in the analysis?
• The title of Figure 6. Should be rewritten. “Flowchart of the study” the author should determine exactly flowchart of study what design, methodology, analysis or something similar.

Results

• The word analysis should be removed from section 3.
• The title of 3.2 should be shorten to express only the results.
• In Figure 9. Explain what does a,b,c,d refer to?
• The kappa parameters and other coefficients should be represented in table.
• The authors should increase the size and resolution of Figure 10

discussion, and conclusion

• In this section, the findings are combined with discussion and consequently, the drawn conclusion is not adequately supported by pieces of evidence, reasoning, and real perspectives of the relationships between the significant variables and the land use development. I suggest developing a separate section as a “Discussion” to clarify the discussion part and link it to the previous research.
• The recommendations and possible future strategies subsection should be rewritten and inserted in the suggested “discussion section”.
• The authors should indicate the study limitations in the conclusion section.
• There are many grammatical mistakes and consequently checking the manuscript by a native English speaker is essentially required.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Aim of the work is to develop a coupled spatial/developmental suitability evaluation system for Feixi County, Anhui Province, China, combining spatial quality evaluation, a coupled coordination model, and future land-use simulation. Some suggestions are provided in order to imrpove the work:

Abstract

• Say only the main results of the study
• Better explain the methodology
• Clarify the aim of the work

Introduction

• Add the definiton or description of  "productive-living-ecological (P-L-E) spaces"
• Add their main feautures 
• Add the differences between them and the ecosystem services. To this objective, some useful references could be: Morano, P., Guarini, M. R., Sica, F., & Anelli, D. (2021, September). Ecosystem Services and Land Take. A Composite Indicator for the Assessment of Sustainable Urban Projects. In International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications (pp. 210-225). Springer, Cham; Yang, Z., Li, S., Sun, D., Li, C., & Wu, J. (2022). Intensive Evaluation and High-Quality Redevelopment of Enterprise Land Use: A Case Study in China. Land, 11(3), 432.

Materials and methods

• Figure 1 is too much small
• Figure 2 can be removed
• Add in Table 1 the reference years of data collected
• Better describe the figure 3 and 4

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

My comments and suggestions have been addressed adequately and the revision of the manuscript is satisfactory.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

    We are very grateful for your valuable comments, and we have learned a lot from them, which makes our research more perfect and in-depth.

    With Best regards.

Reviewer 2 Report

The efforts made by the Authors are apprecciated.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

    We are very grateful for your valuable comments, and we have learned a lot from them, which makes our research more perfect and in-depth.

    With Best regards.