Spatio-temporal analysis of ecological vulnerability in arid region: A case study of hexi corridor, northwest China

Abstract

Ecological vulnerability is one of the core issues in the study of achieving sustainable development and is important for ecological conservation and environmental management, especially for ecologically vulnerable regions. Scientific assessment of ecological vulnerability can improve decision-making capacity and provide appropriate information for sustainable development. The Hexi Corridor is located in the inland northwest of China, and its ecological environment is very fragile. Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the Hexi Corridor is facing a crisis of ecological degradation. Therefore, this paper assessed the influence of various factors on ecological vulnerability, followed the principles of scientificity and data accessibility, and constructed a comprehensive assessment framework to reflect the spatio-temporal characteristics of ecological vulnerability in the Hexi Corridor from three aspects: natural factors, socio-economic factors and human interference factors so as to provide theoretical and practical guidance for regional ecological protection. The results showed that: (1) The ecological vulnerability of the Hexi Corridor was dominated by extreme vulnerability, mainly in the arid desert region, while mildly and lowly vulnerable areas were mainly distributed in the southern Qilian Mountains and the plain oasis region, which was closely related to its physical geography. The index values showed an overall decreasing trend, and the environmental situation was improving from 2000 to 2020. (2) The distribution of ecological vulnerability had obvious directional characteristics, and it gradually decreased from north to south. Moreover, it exhibited a significant positive spatial correlation, and its spatial aggregation pattern was basically consistent with the spatial distribution state. (3) Based on the spatio-temporal patterns of ecological vulnerability, the Hexi Corridor was divided into five zones: ecological core protection zone, integrated ecological monitoring zone, ecological optimization concern zone, ecological restoration management zone and ecological potential governance zone. Different environmental protection policies have been taken for different zones according to its basic conditions.