Study on the spatial difference of ecological stress in the Jiangsu coastal city based on RS and GIS techniques—A case of Nantong city

Based on RS and GIS, the spatial difference of landscape pattern and ecological stress in the Jiangsu Nantong city was analyzed by some indexes, from two angles of positive and negative landscape types to increase ecological effect. Generally speaking, from coastal and riverside region to interior towns, the diversity index and patch fractal dimension were reducing, and the dominance index and patch fragmentation index were increasing. The ecological stress was “higher in the towns along the Yangtze River and in the towns of city or county located, lower in the coastal towns and in the interior towns.” All that showed the regional ecological pressure had great relationship with the land use and its intensity, and human activity was an important reason to impact ecological.