Construction of Landscape Ecological Security Pattern in the Zhundong Region, Xinjiang, NW China

Abstract

The Xinjiang Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone, which contains the largest coalfield in China, is a mega energy base for west–east gas transmission and outbound electricity transmission in China; however, resource exploitation and the region’s arid climate have led to the region’s ecological environment being increasingly vulnerable. The morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) method and landscape connectivity were used in this study to identify the ecological sources and extract the ecological corridors and ecological nodes based on the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, used to construct the landscape ecological security pattern in the Zhundong region from 2016 to 2021. The results show that (a) from 2016 to 2021, the area of ecological sources increased by 117.86 ha and the distribution density of which decreased from the southern-central region to the northern and northwestern regions. (b) From 2016 to 2021, the number of ecological corridors and ecological nodes decreased, and the ecological corridors with dense distributions in the south gradually moved to the north and west. The length of the ecological corridors in the south gradually became longer, and the number of ecological corridors connecting the east and west in the north increased. (c) The landscape ecological security pattern of the Zhundong region was constructed by “a network and multiple points” using the model of ecological sources–ecological corridors–ecological nodes. The findings of this study provide a scientific foundation for the construction of an ecological security development plan and the ecologically protective development of coal resources in Zhundong.

Establishing an Ecological Network to Enhance Forest Connectivity in South Korea’s Demilitarized Zone

“…The approach is, thus, limited in enhancing the ecosystem quality throughout the forest landscapes by constructing an ecological network for the target area of spatial planning. Informed by recent advancements in spatial planning [59,60], this study adopted a stepwise approach over the traditional global methodology [33][34][35][36][37][38], where paths of the ecological network were individually tailored for each region based on specific land use characteristics and topographical challenges of the Korean peninsula, culminating in a final network that connects these paths, proving more effective in achieving our conservation goals. Our eco-logical network approach connected the forest landscapes more effectively than connections produced through a global approach.…”

“…Notably, a recent approach combining morphological pattern theory [15] and graph theory [31] identifies core landscape elements influencing ecosystem connectivity [32,33]. This approach determines the minimum-cost path required to connect these elements, creating well-defined ecological networks that offer greater interpretive clarity than other methods [34][35][36][37][38]. Its practical applicability is particularly high for decision-making and planning.…”

“…This study aimed to establish an ecological network that enhances ecosystem function by promoting forest landscape connectivity. In particular, unlike previous studies that conducted global connectivity analyses to derive ecological network pathways [34][35][36][37][38], this study aimed to derive ecological network pathways that are effective in securing ecosystem connectivity in areas that are narrow and long, with distinct topographic and land use gradients. The study area encompassed the border region between South Korea and North Korea, where the absence of civilian activity after the Korean War allowed the forest ecosystem to recover towards its natural state [39][40][41][42].…”

Establishing an ecological network to enhance forest connectivity in the South Korea DMZ

“…Of note is a recent approach based on morphological pattern theory [15] and graph theory [25], whereby the core landscape elements in uencing the functional connectivity of ecosystems are identi ed [26,27]. Using this approach, the path with the minimum cost required to connect those elements is determined to establish ecological networks [28][29][30][31][32][33]. This approach allows paths of an ecological network to be clearly de ned and facilitates more intuitive interpretation than other methods.…”

Study on the Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Ecological Landscape and Construction of an Ecological Network: A Case Study of Hebei Province

“…Fabos [15] summarized the functions of greenway into three aspects, namely, the ecological corridor, leisure corridor, and historical or natural protection corridor. At present, the model of "ecological sources-ecological corridors-ecological nodes" is adopted to construct the ecological network [16]. There are different opinions on the ways to identify ecological source areas and ecological corridors [17].…”