Spatial–Temporal Heterogeneity of Urbanization and Ecosystem Services in the Yellow River Basin
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper analyzes and studies the spatial and temporal heterogeneity characteristics of ecosystem services to comprehensive urbanization in the Yellow River Basin and the spatial and temporal response characteristics of urbanization to comprehensive eco-system service capacity. There are many problems in the article, and it is suggested to revise it carefully.
1. Title Title should be modified into Spatial-temporal heterogeneity of Urbanization and Ecosystem Services in the Yellow River Basin.
2. The most critical problem of this paper is that there is no conclusion, and the fourth section is Research Results and Analysis, and the fifth section is Discussion, with repeated content. Please adjusted the content carefully.
3. In the “Discussion” section, references were missed and should be insert in the right place.
4. In the section of Research Results and Analysis, it should not be too methodological (such as lines 294-299, 347-357); the methodological content should be removed to the third section of Data Source and Research Method.
347-357 “First of all, this paper makes a collinearity test on each ind ex of urbanization and four service indexes of ecosystem services and eliminates th e factors of expansion factor (VIF>7.5). Through grey correlation, the main compone nts of urbanization are urbanization rate (X2), per capita GDP (X3), urban land are a ratio (X7) and urban spatial expansion intensity (X8), and the number of hospital beds (X11). The ordinary least squares (OLS), geographically weighted regression ( GWR), time-weighted regression (TWR), and spatio-temporally geographically weigh ted regression (GTWR) are used in turn for simulation estimation (Table 5). Throug h the comparison of model diagnostic coefficients, the influencing factors of ecosyst em services on the level of comprehensive urbanization and the influencing fa”
5. I am confused about the research content of this paper. Not all factors are suitable for causality analysis. Do ecosystem services have an impact on the level of urbanization? This is worth discussing, not random two variables to do statistical analysis, to consider the rationality. I don't think habitat quality and so on have an impact on the level of urbanization. It’s none sense.
6. 2 in R2 should be superscript. It's not standard. There are still many non-standard areas in the paper. The drawing is not standardized, the color classification is not obvious, and the drawing is not clear.
7. In the section of “Overview of the study area”, authors introduce that Henan ranked second, Ningxia and Qinghai had the lowest GDP, which were 0.45 trillion yuan. However, in Figure 1, we can’t find the corresponding province. Figure 1 should be redrawed.
8. Some data resolution is 30 meters, some 250 meters, some 300 meters, some 1km, how to unify? The author did not introduce.
9. Line 137 This paper selects 2000,2005,2010,2015 and 2020 as the time section. Lines 231-232 In terms of time course, this paper selects three cross-sectional data of 2000,2010 and 2020 to analyze the urbanization level of 736 counties in the Yellow River Basin. The time of the study is not uniform.
10. There are many grammatical errors such as “carbon sequestration sevices” “ecosystem services capacity”. It is recommended to find native English speakers to correct them.
11. Since the fourth section is results and analysis, why is the fifth part discussion? It is suggested that discussion parts should be adjusted to the fifth section.
12. Figure 2 Highly developed stage can not be seen in the figure. It is suggested to adjust the color of classification.
13. 7.2 percentage points should be revised to 7.2%
14. the sentence of “Note: Based on the standard map of the Ministry of Natural Resources standard map service website GS(2020)4619, the map boundary has not been modified.” do not need to repeat. Authors can describe it in the study area section.
15. Is it reasonable to conclude that habitat quality has a positive effect on the level of urbanization? Before, there was no great expansion of the city, the quality of the habitat was high, but the lower the level of urbanization.
16. lines 374-382 “The Yellow River Basin has a wide variety of habitat types, from temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest in humid and semi-humid areas to temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest belt, and then to the western temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest belt transition until the temperate desert belt, with rich and diverse levels, creating a diverse habitat environment in the Yellow River Basin, and by 2020, the ecological high-quality development, with the improvement of habitat quality, the promotion of habitat quality to the urbanization construction level of the Yellow River Basin is getting stronger and stronger. ” The sentence was too long and suggest to revise. The conclusion was derived from this study? If not, please insert right reference.
17. Line 415 the negative inhibition of carbon sequestration stock
Inhibition is the same as negative, if negative inhibition is positive, right? We should simply say inhibiting or promoting.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer，
Thank you very much for your professional review recommendations, we have been in accordance with your recommendations carefully modified and edited the Word or PDF documents, please refer to the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is an interesting approach to urbanization and ecosystem services based on the example of China.
The manuscript is innovative. The study used statistical data on different regions of the country, which is a new topic not yet addressed in scientific studies due to the fact that similar studies related to these characteristics for usually one region of the country. This fact is clearly point out by the authors of the manuscript in their research. In addition, the adopted scope of study gives a broad comparative reference and illustrates well the differences in the development of urbanization and ecosystem services in different regions of the China over a long period of the last 20 years.
The layout of the paper is clear and the language is understandable to the reader. The literature review is also correct and sufficient. The results of the paper are factual and supported in accordance with the well-described research methodology. The discussion is written also correctly.
The text of the paper is complemented by legible Figures and tables supported by statistical analysis and described test methods.
Small remarks and suggestions:
1. I would suggest extracting the last chapter 6 - conclusions with clearly conclusions that have been reached in the studies.
2. I would suggest clearly stating the purpose of the research in Chapter 1 (Introduction) and listing the research questions.
Finally, I think that the paper corresponds to the scope of the Special issue of Sustainability MDPI journal and after minor revision will be suitable for publication.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you very much for your professional review recommendations, we have been in accordance with your recommendations carefully modified and edited the Word or PDF documents, please refer to the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
This paper is a good case study for analysing the urbanization and ecosystem services in the Yellow River Basin from the perspective of spatial-temporal heterogeneity. However, some questions have not been well addressed. Thus, my suggestion is minor revision at this stage.
1. Abstract. in the conclusion shows that the above more streamlined, more prominent relationship between the interaction.
2. In the introduction, it is suggested to add references with high impact factors, and at the end of the introduction, it is suggested to simplify the language when expounding the significance of the research.
3. Add some basic information about social economy, especially urbanization and ecosystem services to the location of the study area.
4. The introduction of the research method of spatio-temporal geographically weighted regression should be combined with the research content and add the research content.
5. In the time description of the research conclusion, the box line diagram should be modified to make expression more in line with the expressed conclusion and clearer.
6. It is suggested that the expression of the 4.2 and 4.3 parts of the article should be simplified to make it more consistent with the data, figures and research conclusions.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you very much for your professional review recommendations, we have been in accordance with your recommendations carefully modified and edited the Word or PDF documents, please refer to the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
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1. The result parts need to come together.
- 2.The discussion section needs to be further deepened to increase the comparison with the existing research. Where are the important findings of this study and why there are differences with other studies?
- 3. The conclusion needs to be condensed. The conclusion is too long. Two paragraphs are suggested.
- 4. There are still many grammar errors, it is recommended to find a polishing agency for polishing.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer，
Thank you very much for your professional review recommendations, we have been in accordance with your recommendations carefully modified and edited the Word or PDF documents, please refer to the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
