Synergistic Analysis of Ecological Quality in the Xian-Jiu Expressway Roadside Through Remote Sensing Data

Abstract The Xianning-Jiujiang expressway (Xian-Jiu expressway) is a key project for improving the highway network of Hubei and Jiangxi Provinces. The significant environmental characteristics of the region along the expressway make it crucial to study the ecological quality changes within roadside. Utilizing a remote sensing cloud computing platform and coordinating Landsat series remote sensing data, high-quality images were synthesized using a dynamic threshold method. Annual data for greenness, wetness, heat, and dryness were collected between 2019 and 2023. The Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) was constructed using principal component analysis to evaluate ecological environmental quality. The results revealed the following: (1) The image quality can be effectively improved through multi-source data coordination and automatic annual image synthesis. (2) Spatially, the overall ecological environmental quality within the 5 km roadside of the Xian-Jiu expressway is relatively high. However, the ecological quality is poorer in areas with dense urban distribution and within the primary and secondary buffer zones along the expressway. (3) Temporally, the overall ecological environmental quality has not changed significantly, showing a trend where the rate of ecological decline in the early stage is lower than that in the later stage. Due to the influence of segmented engineering construction, the ecological quality changes within the roadside exhibit a segmented pattern, with significant ecological changes observed along the expressway and at both endpoints. (4) With the continued advancement of construction, the ecological environmental quality within the primary and secondary roadside of the Xian-Jiu expressway has significantly decreased. The research results can provide a scientific basis and reference for the construction and subsequent maintenance of the Xian-Jiu expressway.