Integrating the MCR and DOI models to construct an ecological security network for the urban agglomeration around Poyang Lake, China.

Identification and optimization strategy of county ecological security pattern: A case study in the Loess Plateau, China

Land use/cover predictions incorporating ecological security for the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Accelerated urbanization and population growth have resulted in the loss of ecological land and biodiversity, accompanied by the degradation of ecosystem services. Identifying and improving existing ecological security patterns are of great significance for maintaining the sustainable development of cities. In this study, Jinan, the capital of China’s Shandong Province, was used as a case study area. Based on three ecosystem services, namely, soil conservation, water conservation and carbon fixation, ecological sources were determined. Furthermore, a resistance surface was constructed based on biodiversity. On these bases, the circuit theory concept of random walks was applied to simulate ecosystem processes in a heterogeneous landscape and identify ecological corridors, pinch points and barriers. A total of 25 ecological sources, 48 ecological corridors and 19 pinch points were identified, and restoration areas were delimited to three levels. These elements together constituted the ecological security patterns. Specifically, the ecological sources were mainly distributed in southern Jinan and were covered mostly with forest land. The ecological corridors were located mainly in the eastern and southwestern plains below the southern mountainous areas and were covered mostly with cropland. Furthermore, the eastern corridors were much longer than the southwestern corridors. Pinch points were distributed mostly along rivers or around large-scale construction land. Barriers were distributed mainly in Zhangqiu District and northern Licheng District. Based on these findings, hierarchical restoration areas were delimited. Differentiated development contradictions in restoration areas were discussed, and corresponding ecological protection measures were proposed. An ecological security optimization pattern of “one center, two wings, and two belts” was finally proposed to provide planning strategies for decision-makers.

Research on recognition and protection of ecological security patterns based on circuit theory: a case study of Jinan City.

The major goal of ecological security patterns (ESPs) is to identify key ecological sources and corridors, which play an important role in achieving regional sustainability. Although an increasing number of reviews have been published on constructing ESPs, reasonably prioritizing ecological corridors to maintain vital ecological processes and landscape connectivity remains a challenge. This study aimed to provide guidance for landscape management and decision making by developing an evaluation framework to construct ESPs and further prioritize potential corridors. Taking Jiangsu Province as a study area, we identified ecological sources by considering three key ecosystem services (biodiversity, carbon storage and water yield) and three ecological sensitivity indicators (soil erosion sensitivity, water sensitivity and habitat sensitivity) using the InVEST model, RULSE model and GIS spatial overlay analysis. Then, ecological corridors were delineated with the least-cost path method, and the ESPs were obtained by combining these corridors with ecological sources. We further prioritized ecological corridors based on the gravity model and the probability of connectivity index. The ESPs of Jiangsu Province contained 51 patches and 37 corridors. The total area of the ecological patches was 15,170.51 km2, accounting for 14.61% of the study area and primarily consisting of water bodies, cropland and forestland. Ecological corridors comprised 1920.38 km and were divided into four quadrants via a precedence matrix. The sixteen ecological corridors in the first quadrant (high importance and strong connectivity) were defined as priority areas and occupied 39.50% of the total corridor length. Our methodology framework offers a valuable tool for constructing ESPs and prioritizing corridors at the regional scale. This framework incorporates targeted ecosystem services and ecological vulnerability indicators to systematically assess and identify key ecological space. The conservation of ecological corridors selected in light of their importance and contribution to enhancing connectivity is a more targeted measure. It could be applied to other landscapes and geographical contexts.

An evaluation framework for designing ecological security patterns and prioritizing ecological corridors: application in Jiangsu Province, China

Urban agglomerations have become a new geographical unit in China, breaking the administrative fortresses between cities, which means that the population and economic activities between cities will become more intensive in the future. Constructing and optimizing the ecological security pattern of urban agglomerations is important for promoting harmonious social-economic development and ecological protection. Using the Harbin-Changchun urban agglomeration as a case study, we have identified ecological sources based on the evaluation of ecosystem functions. Based on the resistance surface modified by nighttime light (NTL) data, the potential ecological corridors were identified using the least-cost path method, and key ecological corridors were extracted using the gravity model. By combining 15 ecological sources, 119 corridors, 3 buffer zones, and 77 ecological nodes, the ecological security pattern (ESP) was constructed. The main land-use types composed of ecological sources and corridors are forest land, cultivated land, grassland, and water areas. Some ecological sources are occupied by construction, while unused land has the potential for ecological development. The ecological corridors in the central region are distributed circularly and extend to southeast side in the form of tree branches with the Songhua River as the central axis. Finally, this study proposes an optimizing pattern with “four belts, four zones, one axis, nine corridors, ten clusters and multi-centers” to provide decision makers with spatial strategies with respect to the conflicts between urban development and ecological protection during rapid urbanization.

Tong Wu

Papers

The Construction and Optimization of Ecological Security Pattern in the Harbin-Changchun Urban Agglomeration, China.