Coastal Strip Research Articles

Performance characteristics allow for confinement of a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive for population suppression in a reaction-diffusion model.

Gene drive alleles that can bias their own inheritance could engineer populations for control of disease vectors, invasive species and agricultural pests. There are successful examples of suppression drives and confined modification drives, but developing confined suppression drives has proven more difficult. However, CRISPR-based toxin-antidote dominant embryo (TADE) suppression drive may fill this niche. It works by targeting and disrupting a haplolethal target gene in the germline with its gRNAs while rescuing this target. It also disrupts a female fertility gene by driving insertion or additional gRNAs. Here, we used a reaction-diffusion model to assess drive performance in continuous space, where outcomes can be substantially different from those in panmictic populations. We measured drive wave speed and found that moderate fitness costs or target gene disruption in the early embryo from maternally deposited nuclease can eliminate the drive's ability to form a wave of advance. We assessed the required release size, and finally we investigated migration corridor scenarios. It is often possible for the drive to suppress one population and then persist in the corridor without invading the second population, a potentially desirable outcome. Thus, even imperfect variants of TADE suppression drive may be excellent candidates for confined population suppression.

Construction of coastal zone ecological network based on the perspective of land-sea integration: A case study of Jinzhou City, China

The rapid urbanization of coastal zones has intensified ecological challenges in both land and marine environments, leading to increased landscape fragmentation. The scientific establishment of ecological network, which plays a pivotal role in safeguarding coastal biodiversity and ecological security, represents a significant approach to effectively connecting fragmented habitats within the coastal zone. The study selected Jinzhou in Liaoning Province and its adjacent coastal seas as the research area. The ecological sources within the study area were identified by supplementing ecological red line data, employing morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), comprehensive habitat quality evaluation, landscape connectivity assessment, and ecological sensitivity evaluation. The land-sea integrated resistance surface was constructed by considering both natural and anthropogenic impacts. Ecological corridors were extracted based on circuit theory, and measures to optimize the ecological network were proposed. The results showed that: (1) The ecological sources of Jinzhou City was primarily distributed in the significant ecological functional areas or sensitive regions such as Yixian Yanwulu Mountain, Xihe Mountain, Dabijiashan special protection island, and Liaohe Estuary Protection area, with a total area of 1840.35 km2 (2) The ecological corridors within the study area were primarily located in the municipal areas of Jinzhou City District, Linghai City, Yixian County, Beizhen City, and Heishan County. The distribution of corridors in the sea area was relatively sparse. (3) The addition of supplementary ecological sources significantly improved the connectivity of the optimized ecological network. The results of the study can provide scientific insights for guiding the construction of coastal ecological networks and integrated land-sea ecosystem management in coastal regions.

Impacts of Habitat Fragmentation on Terrestrial Biodiversity in Tropical Forests in Democratic Republic of Congo

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine impacts of habitat fragmentation on terrestrial biodiversity in tropical forests in Democratic Republic of Congo Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study found that habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to terrestrial biodiversity in tropical forests, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The fragmentation of forest habitats due to human activities such as logging, agriculture, and infrastructure development leads to the isolation of species populations, loss of genetic diversity, and disruption of ecological processes. As a result, endemic species in the DRC, including primates, birds, and large mammals, face heightened risks of population decline and extinction. Moreover, habitat fragmentation exacerbates other environmental challenges, such as climate change and invasive species encroachment, further compromising biodiversity conservation efforts in the region. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Metapopulation Theory, Landscape Ecology Theory & Island Biogeography Theory may be used to anchor future studies on impacts of habitat fragmentation on terrestrial biodiversity in tropical forests in Democratic Republic of Congo. Implement habitat corridors that physically link fragmented habitats, facilitating the movement of species and genetic exchange. These corridors should be strategically placed based on ecological modeling to maximize effectiveness. Develop and enforce integrated land-use policies that consider both conservation and development needs. Policies should promote land-use planning that minimizes habitat fragmentation and incorporates ecological networks.

Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity

The randomized shortest paths (RSP) framework, developed for network analysis, extends traditional proximity and distance measures between two nodes, such as shortest path distance and commute cost distance (related to resistance distance). Consequently, the RSP framework has gained popularity in studies on landscape connectivity within ecology and conservation, where the behavior of animals is neither random nor optimal. In this work, we study how local perturbations in a network affect proximity and distance measures derived from the RSP framework. For this sensitivity analysis, we develop computable expressions for derivatives with respect to weights on the edges or nodes of the network. Interestingly, the sensitivity of expected cost to edge or node features provides a new signed network centrality measure, the negative covariance between edge/node visits and path cost, that can be used for pinpointing strong and weak parts of a network. It is also shown that this quantity can be interpreted as minus the endured expected detour (in terms of cost) when constraining the walk to pass through the node or the edge. Our demonstration of this framework focuses on a migration corridor for wild reindeer (Rangifer rangifer) in Southern Norway. By examining the sensitivity of the expected cost of movement between winter and calving ranges to perturbations in local areas, we have identified priority areas crucial for the conservation of this migration corridor. This innovative approach not only holds great promise for conservation and restoration of migration corridors, but also more generally for connectivity corridors between important areas for biodiversity (e.g. protected areas) and climate adaptation. Furthermore, the derivations and computational methods introduced in this work present fundamental features of the RSP framework. These contributions are expected to be of interest to practitioners applying the framework across various disciplines, ranging from ecology, transport and communication networks to machine learning.

Ungulates conservation in the face of human development: Mining and roads' influences on habitat and connectivity in Iran's central plateau

Anthropogenic activities such as mining and road construction pose significant threats to ungulate species in the central Iranian plateau. We conducted a comprehensive study focusing on three key ungulates: wild goat (Capra aegagrus), urial (Ovis vignei), and jebeer gazelle (Gazella bennetti). These species rely heavily on migration corridors for functional connectivity, making them vulnerable to the habitat fragmentation caused by human development. Our research integrates ensemble habitat suitability modelling and connectivity analysis to assess the impacts of mining and road construction on the core habitats of these ungulates and their habitat connectivity. Ensemble models predicted large suitable habitats for all three species; however, a considerable portion of these habitats was compromised by the development of mining roads, highlighting the urgency of conservation actions. We found that wild goat habitats were patchy and fragmented, whereas urial and jebeer habitats were more expansive and better connected. Analysis of core habitats identified critical areas for the species survival. For instance, an important core area for wild goats was located in the central part of the landscape, whereas the core habitat for urials was situated in the eastern part. Multiple core areas were identified for jebeer gazelles, highlighting the diverse habitat preferences of the species. We found extensive overlap between the core habitats of the three species and conservation areas (approximately 80%). Connectivity simulations revealed strong conservation network coverage (between 81 and 91%), emphasizing the importance of conservation areas. Our findings underscore the immediate need for conservation interventions to mitigate the impacts of road development on ungulate habitats and migration corridors in central Iran. This research contributes vital information for informed decision-making in conservation planning and sustainable development in the region.

Conservation Management Practices for Biodiversity Preservation in Urban Informal Green Spaces: Lessons from Central European City

Urban informal green spaces (IGS) represent valuable reservoirs of biodiversity within urban areas and are increasingly recognized as integral components of green infrastructure. They are perceived as temporary ecosystems, and the management of their vegetation is relatively understudied. The development time of spontaneous vegetation on transformed lands is considered to be in the range of decades, which makes it even more necessary to provide managers with better guidelines for such a long period. Two suggested management approaches for these areas involve: (1) retaining vegetation at various stages of succession (non-forest IGS) and (2) protecting advanced developmental stages (forest IGS), with options for balanced intervention or complete non-intervention. However, the differences in biodiversity between these two types in cities across Central Europe remain unknown, as well as whether the predictors of biodiversity at both local and landscape scales are consistent for non-forest and forest IGS. We examined factors such as habitat continuity, landscape structure, soil quality, and human impact to shed light on pathways for enhancing urban floristic diversity. Conducting extensive botanical surveys in existing informal green spaces (IGS) in Warsaw, we derived various parameters, including the total number of species, Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index, hemeroby, urbanity, share of species from distinct ecological groups, and the number of rare and ancient forest plant species. Tracing habitat continuity from the early 20th century using digitized aerial imagery provided a unique long-term perspective on IGS development. We revealed that no management is pivotal for the conservation of select rare and ancient forest species. On the other hand, partial abandonment with occasional maintenance may enrich species diversity across different successional phases. We uncovered the significant influence of landscape structure and human activity on vegetation species composition within IGS. Notably, IGS proximate to extensive forest landscapes displayed a marked abundance of forest species, alongside a greater prevalence of rare species. However, the presence of other vegetation types in the vicinity did not yield similar effects. Our findings indicate that IGS, when left untouched for decades near forested areas, are valuable for urban biodiversity. As cities across the globe seek sustainable paths, this research underscores the importance of properly understanding and integrating IGS into urban ecological planning.

Identifying wildlife corridors to restore population connectivity: An integration approach involving multiple data sources

Identification of wildlife corridors usually prioritizes ecological data while often overlooking the perspectives of local communities despite their relevance. This oversight may contribute to human-wildlife conflicts in surrounding areas. This study aims to demonstrate how multiple data sources and aspects can be integrated to identify wildlife corridors using the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex as a case study. Suitable areas serving as additional wildlife corridors for the Asiatic black bear were identified, and appropriate management strategies to enhance the overall suitability of the wildlife corridor were determined. Firstly, road segments having the potential to serve as additional wildlife corridors were selected based on four criteria related to physical barriers. Then a Bayesian Belief Network was developed to assess the corridor suitability for each proposed road segment by including data from various sources and aspects (ecological data, the human dimension and landscape characteristics). Afterward, eight scenarios were tested to evaluate how they could impact the overall suitability. From seven potential road segments, only three segments showed high suitability to be additional wildlife corridors. Within the assessed 58 km2 area, 13 km2 (22%) were identified as highly suitable for wildlife corridors under current situations. Improving human attitudes toward wildlife corridor construction emerged as the scenario that could increase the overall suitability the most (from 13 to 29 km2) while increasing human threats (hunting, wildlife pet trade, and vehicle collisions) was the scenario that reduced overall suitability the most (from 13 to 4 km2). Our framework in this study is practical, adaptable, and flexible for various decision-making processes. It can also be adapted to other areas and focal species by making relevant adjustments to align with specific landscapes and contexts.

Phylogenetic diversity of the Pristimantis anaiae species group, with a description of a new species of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from Cerro Candelaria, Tungurahua, Ecuador

Continuous field work on mountains in the upper Pastaza watershed, showed an unexpected cryptic diversity in the recently described Pristimantis anaiae species group. Based on molecular and morphological characters we describe a new frog species from the central region of the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. We present an updated phylogeny for the Pristimantis anaiae species group, based on widely used, ubiquitous, and available genes, three mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ND1) and RAG1 nuclear gene. Our phylogenetic hypothesis increases genetic diversity of the species group and shows two well-supported subclades. We show the relationships of the new species and include for the first time Pristimantis maryanneae, belonging to a clade related to P. resistencia + P. glendae. Our phylogeny shows that new species, from Cerro Candelaria, is more closely related to P. kunam from Sangay National Park and differs from it by having a less conspicuous dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles, and sacral oval marks surrounded by thin white pale lines. The new species and two additional undescribed species occur on the south side of the Rio Pastaza Valley, at Cerro Candelaria within the Llanganates – Sangay Ecological Corridor, reflecting the high importance of this area for conservation and understanding of evolution processes in the area, suggesting a probably adaptive radiation zone for the P. anaiae species group.

Application of Hydrus-2D Model in Subsurface Drainage of Saline Soil in Coastal Forest Land—A Case Example of Fengxian, Shanghai

The study aims to explore saline drainage modeling in coastal saline soils, particularly focusing on subsurface pipe drainage in the Shanghai coastal area. Utilizing Hydrus-2D/3D-2.05 software, dynamic changes in soil–water–salt under various subsurface pipe laying conditions in forested areas were simulated to identify optimal schemes. Indoor and outdoor experiments demonstrated the Hydrus model’s ability to effectively simulate soil–water–salt transport processes under complex conditions. Subsequent simulations under different parameters of underground pipe laying, including burial depths (D = 0.5/0.7/0.9/1.1/1.3/1.5 m) and pipe diameters (Ø = 8/10/12 cm), further corroborated model validation. Among the analyzed schemes, those with burial depths around 0.7 m and pipe diameters under 12 cm exhibited the most substantial salinity improvement. Regression analysis highlighted a significant impact of burial depth D on cumulative salt discharge, with a coefficient of 12.812, outweighing that of pipe diameter Ø. Furthermore, subsurface pipe laying schemes demonstrated long-term benefits and cost advantages, obviating the need for additional irrigation infrastructure. These findings underscore the significance of subsurface pipe drainage in enhancing soil quality, reducing construction expenses, and optimizing land utilization, providing a valuable foundation for the Shanghai Green Corridor development and related initiatives.

Analysis Of The Edge Effect On Bird And Primate Distribution In The Ecological Corridor Habitat Of Mount Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS)

This study aims to analyze the threat of edge effects on endemic animal populations due to the presence of causeways in the TNGHS corridor habitat. Indicators of the occurrence of edge effects are characterized by the further distance of wildlife populations from sources of disturbance such as noise, light, and frequency of human activity mechanisms. Belt transect research method for population study and distribution of Javan Gibbon and Surili. Intensive Point Account (IPA) to measure the diversity index of bird species and Javan eagles. Encounter Rate is used for animal distribution studies. Results On the observation transect made along 3 km, the population density of Javan Gibbons was obtained 0.114 ind/ha, Surili 0.024 indv/ha, and Monkey 0.028 indv/ha. Bird species diversity index in 3 habitat patches each Purasari H'= 2.78 with 38 species; Garehong with 27 species, and Corridor H'= 3,087 with 27 species. The similarity of species is that there are only 7 species of birds found in the 3 habitats of the patch. As a result of primate population density and burng species similarity, it can be concluded that the cross-corridor access road area has experienced an edge effect and tends to be a bottle-neck area for the distribution of animals, especially primates.

Classification and architectural planning components of riverine areas in the city structure

The study is devoted to the interaction of riverine areas with the urban structure. The purpose of the study is to provide substantiation for the classification of riverine territories in the city structure and to establish the architectural and planning components of riverine areas. The authors analyze global experience in the organization of riverine territories as part of urban development in the context of modern sustainable development programs. The results suggest that amid the increasing density of cities, changes in production interests, and climate change, there are trends in the regeneration of riverine areas. The study highlights the following trends in urban development: the creation of a system of recreational zones along the banks; creation of a network of city parks with different themes; incorporation of a spatial carcass into the structure; creation of public recreation centers, leisure complexes, and parking ensembles at the intersection of the urban and natural frames; rehabilitation and improvement of industrial areas; relocation of industrial plants situated among residential buildings to industrial areas; optimization of traffic and rational positioning of storage and maintenance facilities; development and organization of water protection zones and coastal protection strips. The conducted analysis of world experience confirms the need to find techniques to rehabilitate territories that are no longer effective while prioritizing the formation of a comfortable urban environment as a factor in raising their environmental and social efficiency.

Ecosystem structure and function of the North Water Polynya

The North Water Polynya is one of the most productive Arctic regions on Earth, sustaining the world's northernmost Inuit communities for millennia. The polynya is a large and persistent region of open water surrounded by sea ice and exhibits high primary productivity, is a biodiversity hotspot, and is a key habitat and migration corridor for Arctic species. Many aspects of the ecosystem structure and the role of resident species in the North Water Polynya remain uncertain. To shed light on these, we developed the first representation of the North Water Polynya food web using the Ecopath modelling framework. Modelled trophic flows indicated that pelagic and benthic communities were primarily connected by Age 1+ Arctic cod ( Boreogadus saida), walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus), and ringed seal ( Pusa hispida). Large copepods, Age 1+ Arctic cod, and bivalves were key prey species. Overall productivity in the North Water Polynya was higher compared to Western Baffin Bay and Western Greenland, corroborating expectations of relatively high productivity within the polynya. This model provides a baseline description of the North Water Polynya ecosystem structure and function prior to future climate-driven food web changes and the emergence of large-scale commercial fisheries.

Ecological assessment of natural complexes in «Serednie Pobuzhzhia» regional landscape park: theory and practice

The article proposes a methodology for determining the ecological assessment of natural complexes in «Serednie Pobuzhzhia» regional landscape park (RLP) according to psychological, aesthetic and geographical and aesthetic criteria. The representative landscapes of the park, which covers an area of 2618.2 hectares and was established in 2009, are located within Tyvriv and Sutyska settlement territorial communities of Vinnytsia region. The park was created to preserve the integrity of the unique landscapes of the valley and water area of the Pivdennyi Buh river. The park is decorated with rapids on the Pivdennyi Buh river, which were formed in places where crystalline rocks of the Ukrainian shield come to the surface, often forming cascades and stretching for up to several kilometres. Some blocks of granite rise up to 1.5 m above the water, which forms the corresponding aesthetics of the landscape. The park is home to boreal, non-morphic and pontic vegetation, represented by rare, endemic and relict species. The Pivdennyi Buh river valley is of great importance for the conservation of biotic and landscape diversity and requires protection and rational use of its resources. One of the anthropogenic impacts on the park’s natural complexes is recreational pressure. Therefore, the authors established the maximum recreational load on the natural complexes of the studied park according to the distribution of landscape types — park, forest, non-forest. On the basis of the conducted research, it is argued that in order to preserve the representative and unique biotic and landscape diversity of the park in the structure of the Buzkyi longitudinal natural corridor of the national ecological network, it is necessary to introduce a set of measures, taking into account the recreational load. In order to preserve the representative biotic and landscape diversity in the structure of the ecological and Emerald networks, it is necessary to expand the area of «Serednie Pobuzhzhia» park and include «Nemyrivske Pobuzhzhia» regional landscape park with an area of 5,678 hectares, creating a single continuous national nature park.

Historical imprints on genetic population structure in direct-developing beach whelks (Bullia digitalis)

Marine organisms often show deep genetic divergence between lineages that are characterized by shallow population structure. The distinction of historical and contemporary demographic forces in creating and maintaining these genetic patterns is crucial for management and conservation. In this study, we examined the genetic population structure of Bullia digitalis, a lecithotrophic sandy beach whelk that lacks a pelagic larval phase and is thus expected to show limited connectivity between populations. Mitochondrial (mt)DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI; 540 bp, n = 214) and a reanalysis of allozyme data (14 loci, n = 735) among populations along the cool southeast Atlantic (west) and warm-temperate southwest Indian Ocean (south) coasts of southern Africa showed a strong phylogeographic break across Cape Point with mtDNA (ΦRT = 0.6, p < 0.001), but a weak break with allozymes (FRT = 0.002, p = 0.004). MtDNA gene flow occurred asymmetrically from the west to the south coast. Although there was no mtDNA differentiation between populations on either side of that break (ΦSR = 0.0), there was weak but significant isolation by distance (IBD) among south coast samples (r2 = 0.20, p = 0.039). In contrast, significant allozyme differentiation was detected on small spatial scales but without overall IBD. MtDNA mismatch analysis indicated a recent range expansion, suggesting historic population expansions, most likely during periods of lower sea levels and greater habitat continuity along southern African shores. Thus, the apparent mtDNA connectivity among populations of beach whelks likely reflects historic, rather than contemporary, gene flow.

Environmental conditions associated with initial northern expansion of anatomically modern humans.

The ability of our ancestors to switch food sources and to migrate to more favourable environments enabled the rapid global expansion of anatomically modern humans beyond Africa as early as 120,000 years ago. Whether this versatility was largely the result of environmentally determined processes or was instead dominated by cultural drivers, social structures, and interactions among different groups, is unclear. We develop a statistical approach that combines both archaeological and genetic data to infer the more-likely initial expansion routes in northern Eurasia and the Americas. We then quantify the main differences in past environmental conditions between the more-likely routes and other potential (less-likely) routes of expansion. We establish that, even though cultural drivers remain plausible at finer scales, the emergent migration corridors were predominantly constrained by a combination of regional environmental conditions, including the presence of a forest-grassland ecotone, changes in temperature and precipitation, and proximity to rivers.

Population structure and history of Mycobacterium bovis European 3 clonal complex reveal transmission across ecological corridors of unrecognized importance in Portugal.

Efforts to strengthen surveillance and control of animal tuberculosis (TB) are ongoing worlwide. Here, we developed an eco-phylodynamic framework based on discrete phylogenetic approaches informed by M. bovis whole-genome sequence data representing a multi-host transmission system at the livestock-wildlife interface, within a rich ecological landscape in Portugal, to understand transmission processes and translate this knowledge into disease management benefits. We find evidence for the co-circulation of several M. bovis clades, with frequent transmission of the Eu3 lineage among cattle and wildlife populations. Most transition events between different ecological settings took place toward host, climate and land use gradients, underscoring animal TB expansion and a potential corridor of unrecognized importance for M. bovis maintenance. Results stress that animal TB is an established wildlife disease without ecological barriers, showing that control measures in place are insufficient to prevent long-distance transmission and spillover across multi-host communities, demanding new interventions targeting livestock-wildlife interactions.

Maintaining ecological connectivity in highly urbanized areas: Optimal strategy, key patches and protection policy

Maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity (EC) are important measures of mitigating habitat isolation caused by urbanization. Considering the prominent contradiction of land use in highly urbanized areas, the EC protection measures proposed in the previous studies, such as expanding the ecological sources and widening the ecological corridors, are unrealistic. By using the stepping-stone and complex network theories, this paper simulated the ecological network (EN), evaluated the centrality of each ecological source and stepping-stone, and analysed the network robustness under different damage scenarios, then identified the optimal strategy and key patches for EC maintaining. Meanwhile, this paper evaluated whether the key patches are protected by China’s new policies, which are, Ecological Protection Red Line (EPRL) and the Three Lines One Permit (TLOP). The results were as follows: (1) The EN is composed of 53 ecological sources and 291 stepping-stones, with 591 links between them. (2) The network stability can be optimally maintained by prioritizing the protection of stepping-stones with high centrality. (3) The 53 ecological sources and 51 stepping-stones with the highest centrality can ensure the stable operation of the EN, that is, they are key patches for EC maintaining. (4) Compared with EPRL, the protection rate for ecological sources and stepping-stones are significantly improved by TLOP; however, stepping-stones with high centrality require stronger protection. This study enriched the research cases of complex network theory applied in landscape ecology, and provided references for the improvement of policies in the future.

Valor económico de los servicios ecosistémicos asociados a los corredoresfluviales atlánticos en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica

Valuing the benefits of conserving river corridors is essential to recognize the contribution of this natural capital to our well-being. This study aims to quantify the economic value of welfare improvements from the restoration of Atlantic River corridor habitats in Natura 2000 Network sites in the northwest Iberian Peninsula included in the LIFE Fluvial project. The contingent valuation method was used to estimate a discrete choice econometric model of willingness to pay for actions that protect ecosystem benefits associated with riparian forest restoration, and more than 600 residents and visitors in four major project areas were surveyed in 2021. The average willingness to pay was almost € 53 per resident and year (annual benefit to residents for the use, enjoyment and knowledge of the ecosystem services provided by these sites) and € 42 per visitor and year. By extrapolating these values to the population and visitors of the most representative sample areas we got an economic value for this type of conservation action of 4.2 million euros per year, much higher than the cost of implementing the entire project (3.03 million euros).

How to restore ecological impacts from wind energy? An assessment of Zhongying Wind Farm through MSPA-MCR model and circuit theory

The wind energy industry is developing rapidly in China with a maximum capacity worldwide. Meanwhile, the stability of the ecological network is challenged by extensive renewable energy expansion. There are still research deficiencies in wind farm ecological impacts at project scale from an ecological restoration perspective. It is of great necessity to monitor the ecological impacts with time going and explore ecological restoration strategies for wind power development. The research case of Zhongying Wind Farm is selected based on investigation and interviews regarding its ecological impact in the prior study. It employs a comparative methodology by comparing the ecological quality before and after the construction of Zhongying Wind Farm. Raw data from Landsat 8, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and wind turbine statistics originating from open data platforms are analyzed and visually represented with ArcGIS. This paper establishes an ecological network based on morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model to quantify wind farms’ impacts on ecological corridors. The circuit theory and Pajek software are used to identify and categorize the ecological nodes into weak and obstacle points. The results reveal that ecological impacts on ecological corridors decay with distance, reflecting changes in length, connection strength and cumulative values of corridors. While the impacts on ecological nodes depend on nodes’ attributes: the number of weak points increased by 18.5 %, and obstacle points increased by 350 %, with their locations shifting from the edges of urban construction sites to the edges of wind farm. Differentiated strategies are proposed according to the impact magnitude of each ecological corridor and node: such as dynamic inspection mechanism, construction prohibition for protection; corridor structure and function recovering, stepping stones addition for restoration; buffer belts, warning radar, and monetary schemes for compensation. This research fills the gap of ecological impact assessment under the challenges of wind energy expansion. It helps to balance wind energy development and ecological restoration at the regional level.

Ecological Security Pattern Construction in Loess Plateau Areas—A Case Study of Shanxi Province, China

Strong soil erosion and increasing human activities have made Loess Plateau areas ecologically fragile regions. Constructing the ecological security pattern (ESP) is imperative to maintain their ecosystem functions and sustainable development. However, it is still challenging to establish the ESP in such an unstable and scattered ecological environment. In this study, we take Shanxi Province, which suffers severe ecological problems in Loess Plateau areas, as an example to construct the ESP in a pattern of “source-resistance-corridor”. The proposed methods include the following steps: (1) potential ecological sources are selected with important ecosystem functions based on contributions of soil and water conservation, habitat quality, and carbon storage; (2) ecological sources are determined by considering core areas at the landscape scale based on morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) along with stability based on dynamic assessment on previous sources; (3) the comprehensive resistance surface is constructed by multiple resistance factors and remotely sensed nighttime light data; (4) ecological corridors are simulated and extracted based on circuit theory. As a result, the proposed ESP in our study area mainly includes 13,592 km2 of ecological sources, 8519.64 km of ecological corridors, and 277 ecological nodes. Meanwhile, an ecological framework of “two axes, three belts, and three zones” was proposed based on the optimization and reorganization of ecological components within the ESP. Our research lays a methodological and practical foundation for regional ESP construction and sustainable development in Loess Plateau areas.