Minimum Cumulative Resistance Research Articles

Designing a sustainable collection and transportation routes for domestic wastes in the agro-pastoral ecotone of the Tibetan Plateau

The absence of an efficient and safe routes for the timely collection and transportation of domestic waste (DW) may have negative effects on the environment and public health. However, the existing collection and transportation routes (CTR) for domestic waste (DW) based on territorial management are not suitable for the special socio-ecological system of the agro-pastoral ecotone (APE). Therefore, it is crucial to develop a low-cost, high-efficiency, and risk-free CTR to mitigate the threat of DW to the environmental sustainability in the APE of the Tibetan Plateau. This study selected Haidong as a research case and constructed a sustainable CTR optimization framework based on an integrated perspective on temporal, spatial and eco-safety risk. We used the improved Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) to simulate optimal spatial-temporal routes, and the eco-safety risk level of the CTR was assessed by using the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model (MCR). Results demonstrated that: (1) After the sustainable model was optimized, the total transportation mileage and the frequency of collection and transportation were reduced by 45.88% and 38.07% respectively, the economic cost savings were decreased by 32.29%. Optimized routes were more effective and can better adapt to the dispersed pollution-producing characteristics in the APE. (2) The optimized routes reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 41.09%, and reduced the eco-safety risk of the high and relative high-risk routes, which account for 29.05% of total routes, can protect important ecological functions and reduce the adverse impacts of DW transportation on soil, atmosphere, water, and the living environment. (3) The cores of adaptive management for sustainable CTR in APE were to change from the current single-county administrative organization to a cross-county administrative organization; adjust the transportation cycle based on pollution-producing characteristics; sort the DW locally; and cultivate environmental awareness among farmers and herdsmen. This study designed new sustainable collection and transportation routes for domestic waste to improve environmental sustainability in the agro-pastoral ecotone.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Optimization of Ecospatial Networks in County Areas Based on Ecological Risk Assessment: Taking Dalian Pulandian District as an Example

The ecological security of a county is the basis for guaranteeing sustainable socio-economic development in the process of new urbanization, as well as the key to maintaining the rational functioning of natural ecosystems in urban and rural areas, and the primary prerequisite for satisfying the ecosystem service functions enjoyed by urban and rural residents. This study takes Pulandian, an estuary county with low mountains, hills, plains, and beach lands, as an example, and comprehensively applies various methods such as the model of driving–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR), the mainstream model of minimum cumulative resistance (MCR), the model of morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and the circuit theoretical model to assess the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the ecological spatial network of Pulandian District from 1990 to 2020 and evaluate its ecological risk from the socio-economic and environmental perspectives to provide a basis for the construction of ecological resistance surfaces. On this basis, an ecospatial network optimization model was constructed to reduce ecological risk and meet ecological security requirements. The results showed that the ecological space showed an upward trend of increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing in the area during the 30-year period, but there was serious fragmentation in the low area of the northeastern river valley, the low-hill plain area in the central part of the county, and the coastal area in the southeastern part of the county. High-resistance radiation centered on townships with high urbanization breaks the original ecological spatial network gradient, resulting in the absence of ecological corridors in large areas of the central and southeastern regions. Therefore, seven new ecological source sites were added for the central and southern portions of the study area, and the number of optimized ecological corridors increased from 47 to 66. In addition, we established an ecosystem consisting of an ecological barrier, an ecological coastal zone, multiple ecological corridors, and multiple ecological sites as an optimization system. This is of great scientific value and practical significance to provide reference for optimizing the ecological spatial network in Pulandian District of Dalian, to promote coastal ecological protection and construction, and to promote regional construction and sustainable development.

A Framework for the Construction of a Heritage Corridor System: A Case Study of the Shu Road in China

Heritage corridors are methods to effectively protect and utilize linear cultural heritage based on the concept of regional conservation. The construction of a heritage corridor system is extremely important to preserve the natural environment of the heritage corridor area as well as the history and culture alongside. The majority of the research on the construction of heritage corridors heretofore focused on the generation of corridors, whereas studies on the classification of corridors are relatively limited, without a complete system for the construction of heritage corridors. Therefore, this paper aimed to (1) establish a comprehensive system for the construction of heritage corridors, (2) provide new ideas for the construction of heritage corridors, and (3) guide the scientific development of heritage corridors combining conservation and tourism. In the first place, the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model was applied to analyze the spatial structure of the study area and explore site selection of the heritage corridors; secondly, spatial syntax was used to measure the heritage corridors and determine the level of the heritage corridors; last but not least, the kernel density analysis was used to classify the types of heritage corridors. The present study shows that the heritage corridor system is built in a scientific approach, covering all aspects including construction, protection, and development.

Corridors Construction and Development Strategies for Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Study about the Yangtze River Economic Belt

At present, there is obvious regional segmentation in the protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. ArcGIS spatial analysis method and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) models are used to investigate the distribution characteristics of ICH and the suitability of corridor construction in this region. On this basis, the strategies for heritage corridor construction are proposed. (1) The results show that the density and distribution of ICH in the Yangtze River Economic Belt have distinct regional characteristics: most of the high-density areas are in the eastern region, yet the low-density areas are mainly in the western region. (2) The suitability of heritage corridor construction decreases from west to east, and the unsuitable areas are mainly distributed in the western region. (3) According to the spatial characteristics of heritage distribution and the suitability of regional corridor construction, the ArcGIS spatial analysis method is used to determine 37 heritage corridors in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. (4) On this basis, a corridor construction method that uses linear landscape as the corridor theme and connects individual heritage points is proposed. The development strategy of heritage corridors should be in line with local conditions in different regions so as to realize regional collaborative development. Furthermore, the influence domain of heritage corridors should be further increased.

Evaluation and optimization of ecological landscape pattern for urban agglomeration in the Pearl River Delta, China.

The evaluation and optimization of landscape ecological pattern has important implications for the accurate improvement of forest quality and high-quality urban development in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration. Based on the "one map" data and digital elevation model data of forest resource management in 2021, we evaluated and optimized landscape ecological pattern of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration by morphological spatial pattern analysis and minimum cumulative resistance model. The results showed that there were 435861 patches in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration that could be used as ecological source area, covering an area of 7346.60 km2 and accounting for 13.4% of the Pearl River Delta area. Thirty patches were selected as the ecological source area of the study area by using the area and patch importance index, covering an area of 2792.59 km2 and accounting for 5.1% of the Pearl River Delta area. The overall natural environment of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration was excellent. The ecological resistance level was small. The peripheral ecological resistance was low. The core ecological resistance was high. There was still a large room for adjustment of stand types and landscape patterns, which should be optimized by adjusting the composition and spatial distribution of tree species. The ecological network of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration was optimized with 30 ecological sources, 103 key ecological corridors, and 95 ecological nodes. The improvement rates of the optimized probability of connectivity index and integral index of connectivity index were 297.5% and 695.1%, respectively. The optimization results could effectively connect the ecological sources and spread the ecological service functions of ecological sources.

Predicting the ecosystem service values and constructing ecological security patterns in future changing land use patterns

The land use and land cover change (LUCC) associated with climate change and human activities poses a persistent threat to ecosystems, profoundly impacting ecological security. Simulating spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) and ecological security patterns (ESPs) under different future land use scenarios is crucial for formulating sustainable development policies. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for multi-scenario analysis, which combines the system dynamics (SD) model, patch-generated land-use simulation (PLUS) model, and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to simulate ESV and ESP changes under future LUCC scenarios using the SSP-RCP scenarios provided by CMIP6. The results show that under the three scenarios (SSP245, SSP585, and SSP126), the ESV for the year 2050 is predicted to be 10.285 billion yuan, 10.248 billion yuan, and 10.327 billion yuan, respectively. Additionally, the area of ecological sources is estimated to be 78.56 km2, 65.90 km2, and 141.38 km2, while the lengths of ecological corridors are predicted to be 428.05 km, 332.45 km, and 527.10 km, and the numbers of ecological nodes are 14, 9, and 15, respectively. Notably, the SSP126 scenario demonstrates a significant improvement in ESP compared to the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, indicating effective protection of ecological land. This study provides valuable insights and serves as a crucial reference for future decision-making concerning ecosystem conservation and land resource management at the county and municipal scales.

Construction of an Ecological Security Pattern in Yangtze River Delta Based on Circuit Theory

Ecological corridors can improve the connectivity between different habitat regions, ultimately halting the loss of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation. Building ecological corridors is a crucial step in protecting biodiversity. Ecological corridors had previously been built primarily on nature reserves, ignoring ecosystem services. In this study, a novel approach to building ecological corridors is put forth that takes into account a variety of ecosystem services, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and connectivity methodologies to identify significant ecological sources. Ecological corridors and significant strategic nodes are created based on the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) and circuit theory in order to construct the Yangtze River Delta’s ecological security pattern. The research found that: (1) the identified ecological sources are 90,821.84 km2, and the total length of ecological corridors is 4704.03 km. (2) In total, 141 ecological restoration areas are identified, with a total area of 2302.77 km2; 151 ecological protection areas are identified, with a total area of 5303.43 km2. This study can provide valuable insights into the establishment of ecological patterns and the construction of priority restoration and protection areas in the ecological restoration of the Yangtze River Delta.

Exploring the Spatial Relationship between the Ecological Topological Network and Carbon Sequestration Capacity of Coastal Urban Ecosystems: A Case Study of Yancheng City, China

Improving the carbon sequestration capacity (CSC) of an ecosystem by optimizing urban ecological networks is one of the effective ways to achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality” in the world. The contradiction between the irreplaceable ecological function and economic development of Yancheng City is prominent. Therefore, taking Yancheng City as an example, this paper adopted the morphological spatial pattern analysis–minimum cumulative resistance (MSPA-MCR) model to establish the ecological network of Yancheng City in 2020 and combined it with complex network theory to evaluate its ecological base, network quality, and CSC. The results show that the ecological network of Yancheng City has obvious characteristics of coastal cities. There is a significant positive correlation between CSC and the clustering efficiency of ecological sources, and improving the clustering efficiency of vegetation and water ecological nodes is conducive to enhancing the CSC of ecological networks. In terms of functional restoration of ecological networks, four types of 13 ecological stepping stones and 12 ecological corridors have been designed to strengthen the connectivity and balance of the network, and the improvement of network robustness before and after optimization verifies that the optimization scheme is reasonable and effective. This study improved the optimization method of ecological networks in Yancheng City based on enhancing the CSC of ecological nodes, which provided a theoretical framework and practical reference for the realization of global strategic goals of carbon neutrality.

Identification of priority areas to provide insights for ecological protection planning: A case study in Hechi, China

The prolonged disregard for the Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) has limited the effectiveness of regional ecological conservation. However, identifying and safeguarding areas with high GEP, and optimizing their distribution and spatial structure, are of great immense for preserving ecosystem services (ESs). Our goal is to refine the spatial configuration of ecological network (EN), and subsequently augment and sustain the stability of ESs. We have specifically chosen Hechi City, situated in the Karst region of southwest China, as our case study. Firstly, we devised a GEP evaluation system to pinpoint crucial areas as ecological sources. Subsequently, we utilized the circuit theory and minimum cumulative resistance model to construct the preliminary EN. Through the circuit theory model identified the key nodes in the EN and optimized the EN. Finally, by combining complex network analysis methods, we evaluated the robustness and topological characteristics of the EN. Our results showed that the area of ecological sources increased from 71 to 161 after optimization. The number of corridors increased from 161 to 423, resulting in an overall increment of 8.8% in the source area. The connectivity and stability of the optimized EN can be significantly enhanced. The addition of new nodes increases the overall importance of the network, making the importance of each node more balanced. Additionally, the complex network analysis method provided a detailed understanding about the spatial topology of the overall and local elements of the EN. The study results can provide a valuable reference for optimizing, restoring and evaluating ENs in karst areas.

Optimal allocation for land in an arid inland basin in northwest China: framework and application based on CLUE-S and MCR models.

Reasonable planning of the limited land resources can promote the coordinated development of social economic and ecological protection. It is very important to optimize the rational distribution of land resources in the arid inland river basin because of the scarce land. In this paper, the GIS technologies of spatial analysis, conversion of land use, and its effects at small regional extent (CLUE-S) and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model were used to optimize the land allocation. The ecological security pattern (ESP) was constructed through using MCR model, which included ecological source and resistance surface. The dynamics of land use and spatial optimizing allocation of Shiyang River Basin in 2025 and 2030 was simulated under three different optimization scenarios including farmland protection scenario (FPS), free development scenario (FDS), and ecological security pattern scenario (ESPS). It was found that under ESPS, farmland was reduced, but woodland, grassland, and water body were increased significantly. Under FPS, land for construction was controlled effectively, a large part of homestead was converted into farmland, and the potential of unused land was developed vigorously. Furthermore, the current FDS and macro policy guidance should be comprehensively considered. The ESPS was more suitable for the scientific development of Shiyang River Basin on a long view. The combination of CLUE-S and MCR can effectively improve the optimization methods under ecological process and ecological resistance of landscape elements.

A methodological framework to create an urban greenway network promoting avian connectivity: A case study of Curitiba City

Integrating landscape models into urban planning can promote the use of green infrastructure tools in cities, which are essential for meeting future sustainability requirements. The city of Curitiba, the capital of Paraná State, Brazil, provides an opportunity to research methodologies related to habitat connectivity in urban areas. Our study aims to propose a network of greenways that connect the most ecologically relevant green areas. Our methodology integrates avian movement and environmental indicators to enhance urban ecology by leveraging the spatial characteristics of the landscape. In designing the path network, we adapted the parameters to fit the minimum cumulative resistance model, which was based on studies of birds in the urban environment and their dispersion behavior. Our findings indicated that impervious surfaces were the predominant land cover class in the city landscape, while larger forest fragments were primarily situated in the south and northwestern regions. By utilizing least-cost paths, we identified twenty-six priority areas that could be connected to form an ecological network spanning the landscape. Our analysis revealed that the path network was more densely distributed in peripheral areas, where the largest habitats were located, primarily within the city's green belt. Regarding land cover classes along the paths, we found that 39% consisted of forest, 25% of impervious surface, 19% of grass, 16% of bare soil, and 1% of water. Despite being highly urbanized, Curitiba possesses significant potential for restoring avian-related functional connectivity through the urban forest. To aid in the recovery and conservation of ecological corridors along the greenways, we developed a set of guidelines. The information gathered from this study may prove useful for future interventions in the city, and the proposed methodology could serve as a model for greenway planning in other urban areas.

Assessment of the cultural-natural importance of the scenic spots from a network perspective

A scenic spot within a natural landscape is not only a spatial carrier of biodiversity but also an indispensable spatial element of culture. In the lower reaches of large river basins, natural conservation and cultural development are both important. Taking the scenic spots in the lower reach of the Yellow River as study objects, we used minimum cumulative resistance, circuit theory, and igraph package to build a cultural network, natural network and cultural-natural network to assess the importance of scenic spots based on connectivity. The scenic spots were grouped into four categories (based on the relative importance of habitat connectivity and tourism connectivity) and three optimization scenarios (including the cultural, natural, and cultural-natural approaches) were set to indicate the impact of population, resistance and publicity on the importance of scenic spots. We found that important nodes in each of the networks were clustered in different parts of the region. Only 2 of the 18 nodes belonged to the category in which habitat connectivity is not important and tourism connectivity is important, and 7 nodes belonged to the category in which habitat connectivity is not important and tourism connectivity is not important, which is the largest category. The cultural-natural optimization method and the natural optimization method are respectively the best in terms of the degree of the importance of the value of the optimization objects and the number of the importance of optimization objects. The network-based assessment method we provide can support landscape planning from a cultural-natural perspective and provide a potential ranking for landscape connectivity optimization that considers both ecological connectivity and social connectivity.

Quantitative Model Construction for Sustainable Security Patterns in Social–Ecological Links Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning

With the global issues of extreme climate and urbanization, the ecological security patterns (ESPs) in the Qinling Mountains are facing prominent challenges. As a crucial ecological barrier in China, understanding the characteristics of ESPs in the Qinling Mountains is vital for achieving sustainable development. This study focuses on Yangxian and employs methods such as machine learning (ML), remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GISs), analytic hierarchy process and principal component analysis (AHP–PCA), and the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to construct an ecological security network based on multi-factor ecological sensitivity (ES) and conduct quantitative spatial analysis. The results demonstrate that the AHP–PCA method based on ML overcomes the limitations of the single-weighting method. The ESPs of Yangxian were established, consisting of 21 main and secondary ecological sources with an area of 592.81 km2 (18.55%), 41 main and secondary ecological corridors with a length of 738.85 km, and 33 ecological nodes. A coupling relationship among three dimensions was observed: comprehensive ecological sensitivity, ESPs, and administrative districts (ADs). Huangjinxia Town (1.43 in C5) and Huayang Town (7.28 in C4) likely have significant areas of ecological vulnerability, while Machang Town and Maoping Town are important in the ESPs. ADs focus on protection and management. The second corridor indicated high-quality construction, necessitating the implementation of strict protection policies in the study area. The innovation lies in the utilization of quantitative analysis methods, such as ML and RS technologies, to construct an ecological spatial pattern planning model and propose a new perspective for the quantitative analysis of ecological space. This study provides a quantitative foundation for urban and rural ecological spatial planning in Yangxian and will help facilitate the sustainable development of ecological planning in the Qinling region.

Construction of ecological network in Suzhou based on the PLUS and MSPA models

Building regional ecological network can alleviate the notable contradiction between land use and ecological development in the process of rapid urbanization. Suzhou is the center city of the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster and a typical water network city, but high intensity land use has fragmented its ecological space. The study firstly introduced the patch generation land use simulation (PLUS) model to simulate the land use under the ecological priority scenario in Suzhou in 2032, combining the land use data in 2002, 2012 and 2022 to provide basis for the construction of ecological network in the later stage. Secondly, the ecological sources of the four periods were identified by combining morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity analysis, and the ecological corridors and nodes of each period were screened and classified by minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, gravity model and hydrological analysis. Then we superimposed the screened sources, corridors, and nodes to construct an ecological network pattern in Suzhou that can develop in harmony with the land use dynamics. Finally, the degree of optimization was verified by the network structural evaluation in comparison with the ecological network in 2022. The results indicate that (1) Suzhou has the largest area of water among the land use types, with good ecological substrate. Under the guidance of the ecological green development strategy, the woodland and grassland areas will slightly increase in 2032. The overall land use pattern will generally remain consistent with that in 2022, and landscape fragmentation will be mitigated. (2) A total of 23 ecological sources are identified, mainly located near Taihu Lake, Yangcheng Lake and Yangtze River. Among them, Taihu Lake is the most important ecological source. 76 ecological corridors are screened, including 31 construction corridors, 22 protected corridors and 23 potential corridors, mostly water corridors. 54 ecological nodes are selected, divided into 21 general strategic points, 12 potential strategic points, 11 restorative strategic points and 10 break points. (3) The plan forms an ecological spatial pattern of “three cores, four pieces, multiple corridors and multiple sources” and proposes corresponding refined management measures to promote sustainable development in the Yangtze River Delta region. In addition, this study aims to propose a framework for ecological network construction coupled with land use simulation, which can provide new ideas for ecological construction of similar regions affected by urbanization around the globe.

Construction and planning application of blue-green ecological network in Ruzhou City based on morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA).

Land space planning is an important way to realize the construction of ecological civilization. It is important to improve the ecological service capacity of urban blue-green space during land space planning and combine it with planning strategies. With Ruzhou City from Henan Province as the research area, we constructed the current blue-green ecological network by morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), connectivity analysis and minimum cumulative resistance model, and explored the application of corridor construction in land spatial planning. The results showed that there were seven first-level core patches, which were mainly distributed in the mountain forest space in the southwest and northeast of the city and the belt ecological space formed by Ruhe River in the middle. There were nine second-level core patches. A total of 256 ecological corridors and 135 ecological nodes were screened out. Most of the corridors crossed Ruhe River, so we should focus on protecting Ruhe River and its surrounding environment, providing temporary habitat for biological migration from north to south, improving the stability of overall ecological network, and concerning the restoration of the corridor breakpoints on the west and south sides of the city. It could guide the division of urban development boundaries, and provide scientific basis for the functional orientation and classified management and control of corridors from the perspective of planning.

Spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem security pattern in Horqin sandy dune meadow alternating area, China.

The natural and geographical environment of ecologically fragile areas in northern China is complex. Due to heavy human disturbance and impacts of climate change, the sustainable development of ecosystems is facing serious challenges. Constructing ecological security pattern can provide decision-making basis for ecological environment protection in desertification areas. Based on land use change data of Horqin dune-meadow interphase area from 1985 to 2021, we identified ecological sources with the importance of ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity, and constructed the ecological security pattern using the minimum cumulative resistance model. We further analyzed the ecological security pattern and its development trend in 1985, 1995, 2005, 2015 and 2021, and explored the ecological spatial layout adjustment strategy. The results showed that the proportion of source area in the ecological security pattern of the study area was always small and scattered from 1985 to 2021, the network of ecological corridors was low, and the connectivity between ecological patches was lacking. The ecological security pattern had experienced a trend of deterioration first and then gradually improving. Ecological policies such as returning farmland to forest and grassland and afforestation had significantly improved the environmental security. We optimized the study area by combining the cultivated land suitability evaluation method. The ecological security pattern showed a spatial trend of 'dual-core, scattered and semi-surrounded'. The results could provide references for the construction of county-scale ecological security pattern in ecologically fragile areas and the ecological management of Horqin sands.

Construction and Optimization of an Ecological Network in Funiu Mountain Area Based on MSPA and MCR Models, China

Rapid urbanization has led to a significant expansion of urban space, causing ecological problems such as fragmentation, declining landscape connectivity, and decreasing biodiversity. There is an urgent need to mitigate the conflict between urban expansion and ecological environmental protection by constructing ecological networks to help promote sustainable regional development. This study selected the Funiu Mountain area as the study area. Morphological spatial pattern analysis, the minimal cumulative resistance model, and network index evaluation were used to construct an ecological network in the study area and conduct a comparative analysis with local nature reserves. The results showed: (1) nine ecological source sites were identified, concentrated in the central and northern regions, which had a high spatial overlap with local nature reserves; (2) 34 ecological corridors were extracted, which could effectively connect all ecological source sites as well as most nature reserves; (3) 32 ecological nodes were identified, of which 20 strategic points were scattered along ecological corridors, and 12 artificial environment points were scattered in low-lying areas around nature reserves; (4) the ecological network showed a structure of central concentration and peripheral dispersion. The structural evaluation of the network indicated that it had strong integrity.

Study on habitat suitability change and habitat network of rare wintering cranes in important international wetlands

Chongming Dongtan wetland is a typical estuarine wetland, located in Chongming District, Shanghai, China, with high ecological significance. The protection of wintering crane's habitat has attracted the wide attention of the international community. Because of the importance of the region in the protection of international biodiversity and the protection of crane habitats, it is of great reference value to study the habitat suitability changes of rare wintering cranes with spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and the distribution of habitat corridors with spatial characteristics, to improve the habitat quality of crane habitats in globally important wetlands. Based on the remote sensing image data of Chongming Dongtan and the field survey data of rare wintering cranes, this study obtained the land use change of Chongming Dongtan from 1986 to 2021 by ENVI and ArcGIS10.8 software, evaluated the habitat suitability of wintering cranes in 36 years by GIS technology, and constructed the habitat corridor of wintering cranes by using the minimum cumulative resistance model(MCR). The results showed that from 1986 to 2021, the number of four typical wintering cranes in Chongming Dongtan showed a general downward trend. In the past 36 years, the habitat suitability of wintering cranes in the internationally important wetland of Chongming Dongtan has gradually changed from a suitable area to an unsuitable area. The suitable areas are mainly distributed in the eastern and northern parts of the study area, and the unsuitable areas are mainly distributed in the western construction land area. The habitat quality of cranes is deteriorating. The overall resistance distribution of Chongming Dongtan in 2021 shows a trend of low resistance value in the east and high resistance value in the west, and the degree of obstruction is strong in the south and weak in the north. There are 208 potential habitat corridors for wintering cranes in Chongming Dongtan, with a total length of 377.12 km. Get 127 Habitat nodes. The density of habitat corridors in the eastern part of the study area is significantly higher than that in the western region, and the ecological space in the eastern region is well connected. Finally, this study proposes the identification of important habitat corridors based on gravity model and the analysis of habitat network structure based on graph theory, which provides a reference for improving the stability of habitat network by means of habitat node optimization, stepping stone increase and ecological restoration. This study is different from previous studies on large-scale ecological conditions such as cities or urban coastal zones. From the perspective of the construction of regional wetland rare species habitat network and the protection of international important wetland biodiversity with important ecological value, it is helpful to optimize the suitable habitat pattern of rare overwintering cranes and provide a method basis for the protection of rare species habitat and the construction of habitat network in regional wetlands. At the same time, Chongming Dongtan is the only internationally important wetland in Shanghai. Wintering cranes are the most important biological resources of wetlands. The study of habitat suitability changes and habitat networks can effectively promote the development of internationally important wetland cities in Shanghai.

Constructing ecological security patterns based on ecosystem services trade-offs and ecological sensitivity: A case study of Shenzhen metropolitan area, China

Ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to integrate landscape patterns and ecological processes from the perspective of ecological connectivity. Its scientific construction can promote the coordinated development of social system and ecosystem. However, the construction methods of ESP still need to be explored, most studies assume that different ecological processes do not interfere with each other, and then spatial overlay different types of ecosystem services to determine the ecological source. Metropolitan area is an important space carrier for the high-quality development of Chinese urban agglomeration. Taking Shenzhen metropolitan area as the target area, we identified ecological sources according to the ecosystem services trade-offs and ecological sensitivity assessment system and OWA algorithm, revised the basic resistance surface by using the night light data, and simulated and extracted ecological corridors by combining the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and potential model. We identified 13 important ecological sources with a total area of 9938.23.23 km2. The spatial distribution of them was concentrated in Huizhou and Shanwei, as well as the junctions of mountain woodlands in Huizhou, Heyuan, and Shanwei. Notably, 66 ecological corridors were simulated, including 26 important and 40 general corridors. The ecological corridors generally exhibited a spider web radial distribution with substantial spatial heterogeneity and were densely distributed in the suburbs and northern hilly regions far from urban areas. Aggregated ecological elements were used to build a comprehensive ESP for the Shenzhen metropolitan area, which comprises 13 ecological sources, 26 important ecological corridors, 40 general ecological corridors, 4 security levels of resistance surface, and 24 ecological strategic nodes. This study comprehensively considered the ecosystem services interactions and the environmental sensitivity of ecological processes, provided an effective quantitative framework for constructing the ESP, and the results can provide decision-making reference for territorial ecological protection and restoration planning of Shenzhen metropolitan area.

Optimizing ecological security patterns considering zonal vegetation distribution for regional sustainability

The construction of an ecological security pattern (ESP) has practical significance in mitigating the growing conflict between the social economy and environmental sustainability. In northeast China, there is a pressing need to reach synergy between food and ecological security. Taking Jilin Province, which is a key ecological node in northeast China, as a case study, this study aimed to explore ESP construction and propose ecological protection, restoration, and spatial optimization schemes. Ecological sources were identified with ecosystem service importance and ecological sensitivity. The resistance surface was modified using nighttime light and population density. Ecological corridors and ecological nodes were extracted using the minimum cumulative resistance model and landscape connectivity. The ecological source area is 41,530 km2, accounting for 22.2% of the land area of Jilin, dominated by woodland and wetlands. There were 77 ecological corridors with a total length of 7813.38 km and 36 important ecological nodes. Corridors are intertwined, while the ecological network in the east and west is stable and the connectivity in the central region is low. The ESP of Jilin was divided into five security levels. The areas with relatively high and high security, accounting for 49.8% and 22.2%, respectively, were mainly concentrated in the eastern and western regions of the province. This study explored ESP construction and optimization strategies within regions with heterogeneous ecosystem distributions and growing environmental pressures. The results reconfirm the importance of IUCN sites and nature reserves in terms of ecological corridor construction, which provides scientific guidance for managing regional sustainability and a reference for similar research.