Exploring Spatio-Temporal Variations of Ecological Risk in the Yellow River Ecological Economic Belt Based on an Improved Landscape Index Method

Abstract

Intense human activities have led to profound changes in landscape patterns and ecological processes, generating certain ecological risks that seriously threaten human wellbeing. Ecological risk assessment from a landscape perspective has become an important tool for macroecosystem landscape management. This research improves the framework and indices of the ecological risk assessment from a landscape perspective, evaluates the land use pattern and landscape ecological risk dynamics in the Yellow River Ecological Economic Belt (YREEB), analyzes the spatiotemporal variation, and identifies key areas for ecological risk management. The results indicate the following: The main land use types in the region are grassland and cropland, but the area of cropland and grassland decreased during the study period, and with the accelerated urbanization, urban land is the only land use type that continued to increase over the 20-year period. The ecological risk in the YREEB tended to decrease, the area of low ecological risk zones increased, while the area of high ecological risk zones gradually decreased. Most areas are at medium risk level, but the risk in central Qinghai and Gansu is obviously higher, and there is a dispersed distribution of local high- and low-risk zones. A total of 37.7% of the study area is identified as critical area for future risk management, and the potential for increased risk in these areas is high. These results can provide a basis for sustainable development and planning of the landscape and the construction of ecological civilization in ecologically fragile areas.

Influence of Natural and Social Economic Factors on Landscape Pattern Indices—The Case of the Yellow River Basin in Henan Province

“…The land use matrix not only reflects the composition of land use in the study area, but also shows the loss and transformation between land use types concretely. To conduct an in-depth investigation into the shifts in land use patterns within the study region, this study utilizes a land use transfer matrix to analyze the dynamics of land use changes in the region [54][55][56]. Its mathematical expression is as follows:…”

“…Moreover, comparable results have been documented in other literature, underscoring the ongoing swift progress and growth of cities in the Basin. The dominant pattern in this region is the conversion of diverse land use types into urbanized areas [56].…”

Landscape Ecological Risk Assessment and Spatial Pattern Evolution Analysis of the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration from 1995 to 2020 Based on Land Use/Cover Change

“…The selection of parameters and uncertainties in the evaluation model can impact the assessment results, necessitating a reasonable choice of research scale to obtain reliable assessment outcomes. In terms of the research scope, the primary focus has been on key regions such as watersheds [13][14][15][16], developed cities [17][18][19], and coastal zones [20][21][22]. However, there is a notable gap in research, particularly concerning the highland mountainous urban clusters characterized by ecological fragility and sensitivity.…”