Identification of ecological improvement zones in different ecological functional zones in northwest Hubei, China

Abstract

In order to protect natural ecosystems, areas that can provide higher ecosystem services are usually designated as ecological priority protection areas. However, some areas with good natural and socio-cultural conditions (called ecological improvement zones in this study, EIZs) that do not provide the highest ecosystem services are often ignored. Therefore, this study attempts to use ecological functional zones as the research unit. And delineating the EIZs by combining multiple critical impact thresholds of ecosystem health (EH) change. Northwestern Hubei Province (NWHB), an important ecological function area in China, was selected as the study area. The results show that (1) the landscape of cultivated land tends to be fragmented, due to being occupied by a large amount of rural–urban land; (2) from 2000 to 2020, the EH in NWHB gradually improved; (3) spatially, the western region of NWHB is dominated by multiple ESs synergetic zone, while the eastern region is a food provision zone; and (4) except for GDP and population density, which are monotonically negatively correlated with EH, all other natural and anthropogenic factors have critical impact thresholds. The critical impact thresholds vary significantly among different ecological functional zones in different periods (e.g., In biodiversity - carbon storage synergetic zone, the threshold of DEM of around less than 1150 m in 2000 decreased to 480 m in 2005 with a clear trend of EH improvement). Meanwhile, from 2000 to 2020, EIZs are mainly distributed in key synergistic bundles in different periods. This study aims to provide services for the planning and management of ecological functional zones.