Spatial correlation effects of the economic value of green infrastructure (EVGI) on social network: Evidence from China

摘要

Green infrastructure (G.I.), defined as a network of natural and semi-natural areas, aims to achieve sustainable development. Previously studies mainly involved spatial planning at landscape scale but paid less consideration to the economic value of green infrastructure (EVGI). Here, an EVGI-SNA model that addresses the value of ecological services on the provincial scale from the economic perspective is described. Mahalanobis distance and social network analysis (SNA) are combined and introduced to construct the spatial correlation network (from 2004 to 2019) of EVGI for 31 provinces of China. The results indicated that the EVGI varied significantly among the 31 provinces during the sample period. The economic value in most provinces in the eastern region was much lower than that in the west. The spatial correlation network density of EVGI was 0.4462, and the overall network density was high, with obvious spatial correlation. Tibet, Xinjiang, Henan, Liaoning, Guangdong, and Inner Mongolia were located at the center of the network, and the point centrality and closeness centrality in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi were low. The spatial correlation network was divided into four blocks: net spillover, bidirectional spillover, primary benefit, and agent blocks. This study provides a characteristic example of how to establish G.I. networks with ecological economic value. It also provides a reference for G.I. planning in other developing countries or territories that are exposed to severe ecological destruction.

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