Landscape Character and Management Zones in Polder Landscapes: A Case Study of the Dongting Lake Area

Polder landscapes, as a representative of lowland agriculture landscapes, possess diverse natural and cultural values. However, polder landscapes are facing multiple challenges arising from economic and climate changes, including increasing flood threats and the fragmentation of landscape patterns. These issues have severely threatened the safety and regional characteristics of the polder landscape. Therefore, this study aims to preserve the regional characteristics of polder landscapes while promoting the sustainable development of lowland environments, and the objective is to provide a foundation and baseline for the management and planning of polder landscapes. In this study, the Dongting Lake Area (DLA) was selected as a representative case of polder landscapes. To identify the landscape character and delineate the landscape management zones, this study employed the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) method in conjunction with a polder typology method at two scales. As a result, the polder landscape types were identified and visualized at two different scales. At the Lake Scale, a comprehensive identification method for polder unit types and polder landscape regions was established, achieving a stepwise transition from polder areas to polder clusters and ultimately to individual polder units. At the Local Scale, an integrative analysis of landscape character diversity (LCD) and land construction suitability (LCS) was employed to establish five landscape management zones for polder landscapes, thereby realizing a balance between the conservation of polder landscape diversity with the sustainable development of wetland environments. This study contributes a set of cross-scale ideas and methods for identifying landscape characters and delineating management zones in polder landscapes, which could be expanded to other lowland agricultural landscapes.