Assessing the resilience of complex ecological spatial networks using a cascading failure model

Abstract

The resilience of ecological networks is an important guarantee for maintaining regional ecological stability. However, current research on the resilience of ecological networks does not take into account the dynamic processes of the network. This study is based on complex network theory, takes the southern foothills of the Qilian Mountains in China as the research area, and uses the shortest path method to construct an ecological network with 104 nodes and 306 edges. It then uses the cascading failure model to simulate the dynamic response process of the ecological network under different attack strategies, and uses this to evaluate the resilience of the complex ecological space. The research results show that The topological structure of the ecological space network in the southern foothills of the Qilian Mountains has the characteristics of fewer central high-degree nodes and more peripheral low-degree nodes; When the initial load intensity difference of each ecological node in the network is small, the attacked low-degree nodes make the decline in network resilience more obvious. When the initial load intensity difference of each ecological node in the network is large, the attacked high degree nodes make the decline in network resilience more obvious. The study suggests that maintaining the load of high degree nodes and increasing the capacity of low degree nodes are the keys to maintaining network stability. The results provide a new perspective for optimising ecological network configuration and protecting key areas.