Ecological Security Pattern Research Articles

Living estuarine shorelines as nature-based green engineering for coastal stabilization: A scientometric analysis

Natural estuarine wetland shorelines play a crucial role in coastal stabilization and preserving ecological security patterns. The effectiveness of estuarine shoreline engineering in reducing coastal erosion and maintaining the stability of ecosystem structures and functions is tightly linked to their types and structures. Although the living estuarine shorelines have received increasing attention, there have been few systematic literature reviews on the development process, research hotspots and future trends in this field. Here we summarized the literatures, and analyzed them in terms of annual publications, subject categories, co-cited journals, countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords based on OriginPro, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace softwares. Results showed that the studies on living estuarine shorelines have experienced a rapid development phase since 2004, which is mainly categorized into Environmental Sciences and Oceanography, and the research institutions and scholars are mainly from the USA and China. The effects of human activities and climate change on the structures and functions of estuarine ecosystems are the dominant topics. Furthermore, the nature-based management solutions have been proposed to improve the functions and services of estuarine ecosystems. Currently, the habitats of estuarine wetlands worldwide have undergone varying degrees of degradation, therefore, the ecological conservation and restoration of estuarine shorelines urgently require the active participation of the public. It is highly important to integrate multi-disciplinary and multi-technology approaches to construct nature-based, more resilient, multi-service synergistic, and composite living shorelines in coastal zones. The findings of this research can provide scientific guidelines for the adaptive management and conservation of estuarine wetlands.

Evaluating ecological conservation effectiveness of security patterns under multiple scenarios: A case study of Hubei Province

With the development of the social economy, ecological environment damage has become increasingly serious, and how to better protect ecological security has gradually attracted people’s attention. This paper takes Hubei Province in China as the research object, using the PLUS model version 1.4 to design four development scenarios to predict land use and land cover changes (LUCC) in 2035: the natural development scenario (S1), the cultivated land protection scenario (S2), the ecological protection area restriction scenario (S3), and the ecological security pattern (ESP) restriction scenario (S4). The study evaluates the ecological effects under these four different scenarios using Conefor Sensinode 2.6 software, Fragstats v4.2.1 software, and the InVEST model. The conclusions are as follows: (1) ESP has better ecological landscape connectivity. (2) Comparing the ecological security indices of the four scenarios, they are 0.5378, 0.5288, 0.5318, and 0.5405, respectively, with the S4 scenario showing the best protection effect. (3) Comparing the habitat quality of the four scenarios, high-grade habitats degrade under S1 and S2 scenarios; homogenization occurs under S3 and S4 scenarios, but the retention rate of high-grade habitat areas is the highest under the S4 scenario. In conclusion, compared to natural progression and prioritizing cultivated land protection, implementing ecological protection policies yields better ecological effects, and a planned ESP provides more targeted policy recommendations.

Ecological source identification and ecological security pattern construction from the perspective of ecosystem service supply and demand: A case study of Baiyangdian Basin in China

Ecological source identification and ecological security pattern construction from the perspective of ecosystem service supply and demand: A case study of Baiyangdian Basin in China

Ecological Security Pattern Construction and Multi-Scenario Risk Early Warning (2020–2035) in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, China

The effectiveness of ecological security patterns (ESPs) in maintaining regional ecological stability and promoting sustainable development is widely recognized. However, limited research has focused on the early warning of risks inherent in ESPs. In this study, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GHKMGBA) is taken as the study area, and ecological security risk zones are delineated by combining the landscape ecological risk index and habitat quality, and a multi-level ESP is constructed based on the circuit theory. The PLUS model was employed to simulate future built-up land expansion under different scenarios, which were then extracted and overlaid with the multi-level ESP to enable the multi-scenario early warning of ESP risks. The results showed the following: The ESP in the central plains and coastal areas of the GHKMGBA exhibits a high level of ecological security risk, whereas the peripheral forested areas face less threat, which is crucial for regional ecological stability. The ESP, comprising ecological sources, corridors, and pinch points, is crucial for maintaining regional ecological flow stability, with tertiary corridors under significant stress and risk in all scenarios, requiring focused restoration and enhancement efforts. There are significant differences in risk early warning severity within the ESP across various development scenarios. Under the ecological protection scenario, the ESP will have the best early warning situation, effectively protecting ecological land and reducing ecological damage, providing a valuable reference for regional development policies. However, it must not overlook economic development and still needs to further seek a balance between economic growth and ecological protection.

The spatio-temporal evolution of spatial structure and supply-demand relationships of the ecological network in the Yellow River Delta region of China

Rapid urbanization has caused unregulated transformation of land use/land cover, further exacerbating the imbalance in ecological supply-demand relationships. Constructing the ecological supply-demand network by integrating natural ecological processes and human ecological demands into a unified spatio-temporal framework and considering their internal dynamic flow characteristics is an effective approach to address this issue. However, there is currently a lack of evaluation methods for the coordination of ecological network supply-demand relationships, which could provide essential guidance and reference. This article takes Yellow River Delta region (YRDR) as an example and utilizes the integrated traditional ecological network paradigm and ecosystem services theory to simulate the ecological supply-demand network for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 in the study area. Then, a novel evaluation index system for the ecological network supply-demand relationships was proposed from the perspectives of intensity, capacity, and equilibrium. Based on this, combined with a graph-based network structure evaluation system, it reveals the spatio-temporal evolution process of the spatial structure and supply-demand relationship of the ecological network in the study area. The study results showed that: (1) The quantity of elements in the ecological supply network and the demand network show opposite trends, leading to an exacerbation of the spatial imbalance in the arrangement of ecological supply-demand network elements. (2) Although the structural changes in the ecological supply network were significantly greater than those in the ecological demand network, the overall structure of the ecological supply-demand network gradually improved. (3) However, under the coupled influence of imbalanced change in the spatial distribution and connectivity of ecological elements, the overall coordination of the ecological supply-demand relationships within the YRDR's ecological network is gradually deteriorating. (4) The proposed optimization strategy, "Two zones, Three belts, Four corridors", for the ecological security pattern in YRDR can accommodate the ecological process cycle and human ecological demand. This study can provide scientific references for "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature" ecological protection and sustainable development planning under the background of rapid urbanization.

Construction of Ecological Security Patterns Incorporating Multiple Types of Ecological Service Functions for Developed Coastal Regions: A Case Study in Jinjiang Watershed, China

Construction of Ecological Security Patterns Incorporating Multiple Types of Ecological Service Functions for Developed Coastal Regions: A Case Study in Jinjiang Watershed, China

Integrating supply and benefits of ecosystem services into ecological security pattern: A spatial flow perspective

Ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to alleviate the conflict between social development and ecological conservation. Previous studies on ESP mostly identified ecological sources derived from local supply and demand of diverse ecosystem services (ESs), overlooking the spatial flow of ESs and thus limiting its significance in both local and regional scales. This study proposed a framework integrating ESs supply and benefit from a spatial flow perspective for ecological sources identification. After modifying resistance surface by nighttime light data and extracting ecological corridors by MCR model, the ESP was finally constructed and optimized for sustainable land use management in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in 2020. The findings indicated that ecological sources were predominantly concentrated in the southwestern forestland and central Taihu Lake region, accounting for 18.47 % of the total area in the YRD. Totally 1035 ecological corridors were extracted, including 45 main corridors with a distance of 4284.47 km, overall exhibiting a “one vertical and three horizontals” shape distribution. Finally, an ESP of “four areas and four lines” was constructed after optimization, and targeted suggestions were proposed for regional sustainability. This study introduced spatial flow perspective and ESs benefit into ESP construction, which provides a scientific basis for sustainable land use management in a regional integration perspective.

Identification of key areas for ecological restoration of territorial space based on ecological security pattern analysis: A case study of the Taihu Lake city cluster.

The identification of key areas for ecological restoration of national land space based on the ecological security pattern is an important way to balance environmental protection and social development in the new era. With the Taihu Lake city cluster as the study area, we identified the ecological source from both structural and functional aspects, and used the minimum cumulative resistance model to identify the ecological corridors on the basis of constructing the resistance surface. Coupled the landscape ecological risk evaluation, we determined the appropriate width of each ecological corridor in the study area, identified the key restoration zones through the circuit theory. Then, we constructed the ecological security pattern of "six zones and four belts" and controlled by zoning. The results showed that the 32 ecological source areas in the Taihu Lake city cluster presented a spatial pattern of "more in the east and less in the west-mountains and lakes are connected" and 70 ecological corridors were concentrated in the west and the center. The suitable width of most of the ecological corridors was 1500-2000 m. The ecological restoration zones of the national land space were concentrated in the eastern part of the Lake Taihu, Changxing County, and Liyang City. According to the characteristics of the study area and the actual situation of the restoration area, we proposed specific protection and restoration measures, such as protecting the core ecological source, optimizing and restoring the important corridors, and reasonably planning land use of the ecological pinch points and obstacle points.

Incorporating barriers restoration and stepping stones establishment to enhance the connectivity of watershed ecological security patterns

Enhancing the connectivity of watershed ecological security patterns (ESPs) is increasingly emphasized for preserving ecological processes. Yet the importance of small-scale conservation and restoration was ignored and few studies have quantitatively compared the contribution of barriers restoration and stepping stones establishment to landscape connectivity. In this study, taking Dongting Lake Basin as an example, a watershed ESP was constructed based on the minimum cumulative resistance model and optimized through graded barriers restoration and different stepping stones establishment. Then the enhancement effects of landscape connectivity were compared to identify the most cost-effective optimization scheme. The results showed that the average of six schemes only protected and repaired less than 1% of the total area, which could enhance corridor connectivity by about 12% and 16% for average corridor length and corridor cumulative resistance respectively. For the optimal ESP, establishing natural patches near the midpoint of longer corridors as stepping stones, increased the probability of connectivity by 21.05%, and reduced the average corridor length and corridor cumulative resistance of corridor connectivity by 17.99% and 15.48% respectively. It also increased network circuitry index of network connectivity from 0.541 to 0.570, compared with the original ESP, indicating the possibility of successful ecological flow increased effectively. It can be concluded that the connectivity enhancement of stepping stones approach was better than barriers restoration approach. This study highlights the importance of small-scale barriers restoration and stepping stones establishment in enhancing landscape connectivity.

Ecological Security Pattern based on XGBoost-MCR model: A case study of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region

The ecological resistance surfaces (ERS) are a critical component in constructing the Ecological Security Pattern (ESP) and reflects the ecological security level of a region. However, research on optimizing the construction of the ERS is limited. This study focuses on selecting 11 ecological resistance factors from two categories: natural conditions and human activities. Using the XGBoost (eXtreme Gradient Boosting) - MCR (Minimum Cumulative Resistance) algorithm, a comprehensive framework to analyze the ESP in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) is constructed. The results reveal the following key findings: (1) The ecological source areas in the TGRR decrease from northeast to southwest, covering a total area of approximately 12,400 km2, accounting for 21.57% of the total area. (2) The ecological corridors amount to 45, exhibiting spatial distribution patterns that vary across different regions. In the northeast, ecological corridors demonstrate a branching and radial distribution pattern, while in the southwest, they primarily extend along the edges of the study area. Corridors in the central region extend from west to east. (3) The ecological security assessment based on the XGBoost algorithm demonstrates high reliability, as the predicted results align well with the actual conditions in the TGRR. (4) The comprehensive framework of the ESP, based on the XGBoost-MCR model, allows for automatic optimization of algorithm parameters using known environmental samples. The study contributes scientific references to ecological environmental protection in the TGRR, while also offering valuable insights for optimizing ERS construction, ESP development, and integrating machine learning techniques in ecological security research.

Identifying and Optimizing the Ecological Security Pattern of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration from 2000 to 2030

The conflict between economic development and ecological protection continues to intensify, highlighting the necessity for constructing regional ecological security patterns (ESPs) to reconcile the relationship between development and protection effectively. This study used the GMOP and PLUS model to simulate future land use changes by 2030 under the following three scenarios: natural development (ND), ecological protection (EP), and economic development (ED). Employing the MSPA model and circuit theory, it identified ecological source areas and constructed the ESP for the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH) from 2000 to 2030. The results indicate that the proportion of ecological source areas increased from 22.24% in 2000 to 23.09% in 2020, the EP scenario showing the highest proportion of ecological source areas compared with the other two scenarios. These areas are densely distributed in the northern and western mountainous regions, with sparse distributions in the southern plains. The number of ecological corridors grew from 603 in 2000 to 616 in 2020, with the EP scenario having more corridors than the other two scenarios. From 2000 to 2030, corridors in the northern and western mountainous areas were denser, shorter, and more variable, while those in the southern plains were less dense, longer, and relatively stable. Over two decades, habitat areas for species in BTH increased, while landscape connectivity decreased. Compared with 2020 and the other two scenarios, the EP scenario saw an increase in habitat areas and improved landscape connectivity. The impact on ecological corridors and improvement areas primarily arose from a combination of socio-ecological drivers (e.g., elevation, slope, population), while the influence on restoration and key areas mainly stemmed from ecological factors (e.g., elevation, temperature, NDVI, precipitation). The findings demonstrate that distinguishing different geomorphological units to improve and restore the regional environment, while considering socio-ecological drivers, is crucial for restoring the overall ESP and landscape connectivity of BTH.

Identification of spatial protection and restoration priorities for ecological security pattern in a rapidly urbanized region: A case study in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic Circle, China

The continuous expansion of modern cities not only leads to ecological degradation but also seriously threatens regional ecological security and sustainable development. The construction of ecological security patterns (ESPs) has emerged as a significant approach to alleviate or even solve the conflict between regional development and ecological protection. The Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) represents the core area of regional economic development strategy in western China, characterized by rapid economic growth from 2000 to 2020. This study integrates assessments of ecosystem services importance, eco-environmental sensitivity and landscape connectivity; uses circuit theory and hydrological analysis to establish a research framework for the spatiotemporal evolution of regional ESP; and develops an optimized ESP combined with the Major Function Oriented Zone. The results indicate that urban expansion significantly impacted the ESP of the CCEC between 2000 and 2020. The fragmentation and merging of ecological sources occurred simultaneously, the number of patches reduced by 28.13% from 64 to 46. The early ecological security network was compromised, leading to the disappearance or elongation of some ecological corridors. The number of ecological corridors decreased by 36.03% from 136 to 87; the total length was reduced by 29.92% from 7500.57 km to 5256.28 km. Urgent optimization of the ESP is needed, reducing the number of key ecological protection areas by 50% from 106 to 53 while increasing priority restoration areas by 13.51% from 37 to 42. The study also reveals the insufficiency of the current Major Function Oriented Zone in protecting linear corridors, necessitating focused attention on the protection and restoration of ecological sources and surrounding corridors in important development zones. Additionally, a spatial optimization strategy of "one shelter, two cores, and three regions" is proposed to enhance regional ecosystem stability and connectivity. The aim was to strike a balance between ecological protection and food security by recommending an ecological corridor width range of 30∼100 m. These research findings offer scientific guidance for ecological space protection and restoration in the CCEC, contributing to the enhancement of both scientific and rational ecological planning in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Spatiotemporal Changes and Simulation Prediction of Ecological Security Pattern on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Based on Deep Learning

Over the past two decades, due to the combined effects of natural and human factors, the ecological environment and resources of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) have faced serious threats, profoundly impacting its ecosystem and the lives of its residents. Therefore, the establishment of the ecological security pattern (ESP) is crucial to cope with climate change, maintain ecosystem function, and sustainable development. Based on the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) model, this study constructed an evaluation index system for the ecological security (ES) of the QTP, evaluated the ES of the QTP during 2000–2020, and predicted the ES of the QTP during 2025–2035 based on the deep learning model. Combined with the residents’ perception of ES, the ES of the QTP was evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ES value of the QTP continued to rise, the number of dangerous and sensitive counties decreased, and the number of other counties increased. The overall spatial distribution features higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest and central regions. (2) From 2000 to 2020, both hot spots and cold spots on the QTP decreased, with the hot spots mainly concentrated in the southeast of the QTP, represented by Yunnan Province, and the cold spots shifting from west to east, mainly concentrated in the central QTP, represented by Qinghai Province. (3) The Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model demonstrates high prediction accuracy. Based on the prediction of LSTM, the ES value of the QTP will continue to rise from 2025 to 2035, and the number of safe counties will reach the highest level in history. The spatial distribution is still higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest and central regions. (4) By analyzing residents’ perception of 25 potential factors that may affect the ES of the QTP, the results show that residents generally believe that these factors have an important impact on ES, and their evaluation is between “important” and “very important”. In addition, there is a significant correlation between these factors and the predicted values of ES. The results of the study will help to improve our understanding of the overall ecological environment of the QTP, provide accurate positioning and reasonable help for the government to formulate relevant protection strategies, and lay a methodological and practical foundation for the sustainable development of the QTP.

Multi-scenario analysis and optimization strategy of ecological security pattern in the Weihe river basin

For many years, the Weihe River Basin (WRB) has struggled to achieve a balance between ecological protection and economic growth. Constructing an Ecological Security Pattern (ESP) is extremely important for ensuring ecological security (ES). This study employed a coupling of multi-objective programming (MOP) and the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model to project land use change (LUCC) in 2040 across three scenarios. Leveraging circuit theory, we generated ecological corridors and identified key ecological nodes, enabling a comparative analysis of ESPs within the WRB. The main results showed that: (1) The Ecological Protection (EP) scenario showed the highest proportions of forestland, grassland, and water, indicating an optimal ecological environment. Conversely, the Economic Development (ED) scenario features the greatest proportion of construction land, particularly evident in the rapid urban expansion. The Natural Development (ND) scenario exhibits a more balanced change, aligning closely with historical trends. (2) The ecological source areas in the EP scenario is 13,856.70 km2, with the largest and most intact patch area. The ecological source patches that have been identified in the ED scenario exhibit fragmentation and dispersion, encompassing a total area of 8018.82 km2. The ecological source areas in the ND scenario is most similar to the actual situation in 2020, encompassing 8474.99 km2. (3) The EP scenario demonstrates minimal landscape fragmentation. The ED scenario presents a more intricate corridor pattern, hindering species and energy flow efficiency. The ND scenario is more similar to the actual distribution in 2020. Protecting and restoring key ecological nodes, and ensuring the integrity and connectivity of ecological sources are crucial for ESP optimization in various scenarios. Combining all results, we categorize the WRB's spatial pattern into "three zones, three belts, and one center" and offer strategic suggestions for ecological preservation, promoting sustainable local ecological and socioeconomic development.

To explore the effectiveness of various ecological security pattern construction methods in many growth situations in the future: A case study of the West Liaohe River Basin in Inner Mongolia

The Ecological Security Pattern (ESP) has emerged as a prominent area of focus in global ecosystem research, offering valuable scientific insights for reconciling ecological preservation with economic progress. Understanding the differences among different approaches to constructing ESP serves as a fundamental step in ensuring its efficacy. However, there has been a scarcity of studies that quantitatively assess the disparities in the effectiveness of various ESP construction methods. This study focuses on the West Liaohe River Basin as its research subject. Leveraging remote sensing data alongside county-level statistical information, the study employs three distinct ecological source identification methodologies to establish ESP frameworks. Subsequently, it analyzes the discrepancies in ecological protection outcomes across different ESP construction methods under varying future development scenarios. The findings reveal that the ESP centered around ecosystem services emerges as particularly suited for diverse development scenarios, consistently yielding optimal ecological protection outcomes. Our research not only furnishes a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for ESP development in the West Liaohe River Basin but also offers methodological insights transferrable to other regions.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and forecasting of ecological security pattern under the consideration of protecting habitat: a case study of the Poyang Lake ecoregion

ABSTRACT The continuous expansion and development of anthropogenic activities pose considerable threats to the habitats of myriad species. Therefore, exploring how to protect and optimize species’ habitats to achieve harmony between humans and nature is particularly important. As a paradise for wildlife, Poyang Lake is the habitat and breeding ground for birds, fish, and other aquatic organisms. In this study, adopting a multi-level perspective of ‘point-line-area’, we had an appliance for habitat conservation by constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) in the Poyang Lake Ecoregion (PYLE). We produced land use and land cover from 2000 to 2040 using the random forest and cellular automata-Markov model. Combining morphological spatial pattern analysis, landscape pattern index, and Linkage Mapper, we constructed a long-term ESP in the PYLE considering habitat protection. The spatiotemporal dynamics of ESP were compared and analyzed. The results show that PYLE's rapid economic development led to extensive urban growth, encroaching on surrounding bare land, which could undermine local species’ survival. Based on PYLE's predicted ESP in 2040, we propose an optimized ‘one area, two zones, and multiple points’ scheme to prioritize habitat protection. This comprehensive study provides innovative ideas and novel insights for future research and policy formulation in habitat protection.

Construction of Ecological Security Patterns and Evaluation of Ecological Network Stability under Multi-Scenario Simulation: A Case Study in Desert–Oasis Area of the Yellow River Basin, China

Land use change has a significant impact on the sustainability of ecosystems, and ecological security patterns (ESPs) can improve environmental quality through spatial planning. This study explored a multi-scenario ESP framework by integrating future land use simulation (FLUS) and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) for urban agglomeration along the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in Ningxia. The research involved simulating land use change in 2035 under four development scenarios, identifying ecological security networks, and evaluating network stability for each scenario. The study revealed that the ecological sources under different development scenarios, including a natural development scenario (NDS), an economic development scenario (EDS), a food security scenario (FSS), and an ecological protection scenario (EPS), were 834.82 km2, 715.46 km2, 785.56 km2, and 1091.43 km2, respectively. The overall connectivity values (OG) for these scenarios were 0.351, 0.466, 0.334, and 0.520, respectively. It was found that under an EPS, the ESPs had the largest area of ecological sources and the most stable ecological network structure, which can effectively protect natural habitats. This study provides a valuable method for identifying ESPs that can respond to diversity and the uncertainty of future development. It can assist decision-makers in enhancing the ecological quality of the study area while considering various development scenarios.

Habitat Suitability Evaluation and Ecological Corridor Construction for Asian Elephants: The Case of Jiangcheng, a New Range for Elephants in Southwestern China

In recent years, the northward migration of elephant herds in China’s Yunnan Province has attracted unprecedented public attention to the conservation of Asian elephants, with habitat fragmentation and human disturbance thought to be key factors. In this study, we used Jiangcheng, a new distribution site for Asian elephants in southwest China, as an example, combined the available remote sensing and monitoring data with the MaxEnt3.4.1 model, to analyze the factors affecting the activities of Asian elephants under the conditions of human disturbance and habitat degradation. The Least Cumulative Resistance model was utilized to construct the potential ecological dispersal corridors, and the key corridors were identified through the gravity model to explore the ecological security pattern of the habitat of Asian elephants in Jiangcheng County. The results show that the habitat of Asian elephants in Jiangcheng County is fragmented, showing a north–south strip distribution, never moving to the northeast. The existing suitable habitat is located in the low-elevation area (<1500 m), which is close to water sources and roads, and there is no nature reserve in this area. The land is mainly occupied by scrub or grassland near mountainous forests, but part of it is also under cultivation, which leads to conflicts between humans and elephants occur frequently. There are 14 ecological source areas, which are mainly distributed in the two regions of Zhengdong and Kangping, and there are 92 ecological corridors, of which 3 are important corridors and 89 are general corridors. This study comprehensively analyzes the current status and connectivity of Asian elephant habitat in Jiangcheng County at the regional scale, which helps to optimize the pattern of suitable habitat, promotes the dispersal of Asian elephants and habitat connectivity, and provides realistic guidance and basic information for the conservation planning of isolated populations of this species and their habitats.

Evaluation of landscape ecological security pattern via the “pattern-function-stability” framework in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration of China

Most studies have assessed and constructed landscape ecological security patterns (LESPs) primarily from the perspective of landscape morphology by employing morphological spatial pattern analysis, with little attention paid to fundamental ecosystem attributes (such as ecosystem functions and stability). Thus, this study proposed a comprehensive evaluation and optimization framework for LESPs from the perspective of “mode function stability” by integrating assessment landscape pattern, ecological function, and landscape stability. A comprehensive evaluation and optimization of the LESPs was conducted using the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA) as the research area. The results showed that: (1) Generally, the landscape quality in urban agglomerations was relatively low because of the large area of agricultural vegetation, high human interference, and landscape fragmentation, which caused low levels of landscape pattern, function, and stability. (2) LESPs were mainly determined by landscape stability in urban agglomerations due to low-quality ecosystems, rapid landscape transformation, and severe anthropogenic disturbances. (3) There was a large variation in the landscape function and stability of a certain landscape type due to their different structures and human interference across space in urban agglomerations. According to assessment by “pattern-function-stability” framework, the ecological sources and corridors covered with natural forest were the crucial cornerstone to constructing LESPs, and the rivers in crop planting areas were the inevitably selected corridors, but their ecological function and stability needed further improvement in construction. (4) The framework can assess spatial patterns and ecological functions to further the stability and sustainability of the landscape in maintaining ecological security and facilitating the identification of improvement objectives or measures of individual ecological sources or corridors in regional ecological infrastructure construction practices.

Construction of ecological security pattern of arid area based on landscape ecological risk assessment: a case study of the Wu-Chang-Shi urban agglomeration.

The construction of ecological security pattern (ESP) holds paramount importance in ensuring regional environment sustainability. This study introduces an innovative approach to ESP construction grounded in landscape ecological risk (LER) assessment, with Wu-Chang-Shi urban agglomeration in Xinjiang, China, serving as a case study. Initially, LER within the area was evaluated using the LER Index (LERI) method. Subsequently, the Geodetector model was employed to discern the relationship between multi-source data and LER. Furthermore, ecological resistance and corridors were delineated utilizing the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Lastly, the corridors were optimized using the gravity model, finalizing the ESP construction. Study results reveal that LER was always fluctuating from 1990 to 2010, and tended to stabilize from 2010 to 2020. Factor detection underscores the predominant influence of land use on LER, followed by elevation and vegetation distribution. The ESP shows the imperative for improving connectivity of the natural areas that are fragmented by urban land, highlighting the great significance of the woodland-originating corridors. Finally, strategies are proposed to enhance woodland and water coverage, boost landscape diversity in nature reserves, and prioritize ecological conservation in corridor regions. In summation, the study furnishes a framework for analyzing arid regions in Eurasia. Furthermore, the research idea of evaluation-analysis-remodeling also offers insights into environmental management in developing areas with more diverse climate types.