A integrated method for assessing the urban ecosystem health of rapid urbanized area in China based on SFPHD framework

•Proposed a new assessment framework and expanded index system.•Developed a evaluation index classification standard.•Proposed a improved SI-MI model for assessing urban ecosystem health.•The reasons affecting the UEH levels of different cities were analyzed.•Recommendations were proposed for the development and management of UEH. With the rapid economic development and continuous growth of population in rapid urbanized area, the health status of urban ecosystem is undergoing profound changes, which will have a negative impact on the sustainable development. In order to systematically evaluate the health status of urban ecosystem in rapid urbanized area of central China, this paper puts forward a new assessment framework of structure-function-process-human health-development based on a deep understanding of the concept and general characteristics of urban ecosystem health, and establishes an expanded evaluation index system according to this evaluation framework. Then, on the basis of determining the index classification criteria in detail, the improved SI-MI model was used to evaluate the health status of urban ecosystem. As a case study, the framework and method were applied to the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze river, a region of the rapid urbanized in China. The results showed that, the health level of most cities in the study area has been improved from 2005 to 2015. From the perspective of spatial pattern, the health level of the study area shows obvious spatial heterogeneity, and provincial capital cities and some eco-cities have better health status. It is worth noting that the function and development layer are the key parts that restrict the overall health level of urban ecosystem in the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. After classifying all cities, we found the factors influencing the health level of different types of cities, and proposed the management suggestions for different types of cities.