Assessment of Spatial-Temporal Changes of Landscape Ecological Risk in Xishuangbanna, China from 1990 to 2019

Abstract

Xishuangbanna is a major natural rubber and tea production base in China and a national nature reserve with the best-preserved tropical ecosystem. However, the extensive exploitation and use of land resources impact the land use/land cover (LULC) and the processes of regional landscape ecology, further causing a battery of ecological and environmental problems. It is necessary to evaluate landscape ecological risk objectively and quantitatively for improving the ecological environment and maintaining ecological balance. First, this study selected China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD) to analyze the changes in LULC. Second, we constructed the landscape ecological risk index (ERI) using LULC changes based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Third, the spatial-temporal pattern and spatial autocorrelation of landscape ecological risk were assessed in our study area. The results showed that the significant change in LULC was that the areas of cropland increased, and the areas of forests decreased during 1990–2019; the forests of a total area of 859.93 km2 were transferred to croplands. The landscape ecological risk kept a low and stable level from 1990 to 2019, more than 75% of the study area remained at the lower or lowest risk level, and in about 70% of the total study area, the ERI level maintained stability. In addition, the landscape ecological risk of the Xishuangbanna increased during 1990–2010 and decreased during 2010–2019. The ecological risk was a significant spatial autocorrelation and has been an aggregation trend in space from 1990 to 2019. Our research can identify key risk areas and provide a reference for the management and sustainable use of land resources, which promotes the understanding of landscape ecological risk and sustainable development of the ecological environment.