The Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Ecological Security Pattern in the Loess Plateau, China

Manya Luo, Xia Jia, Yonghua Zhao (), Huanyuan Wang, Chunyang Chen, Dongqian Li, Shuyuan Yang and Juan Li
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Manya Luo: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Xia Jia: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Yonghua Zhao: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Huanyuan Wang: Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710075, China
Chunyang Chen: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Dongqian Li: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Shuyuan Yang: The School of Land Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Juan Li: Shaanxi Provincial Land Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710075, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: As a typical ecologically fragile area, the ecological security of the Loess Plateau has been seriously threatened. Ecological security patterns (ESP) have gradually become an effective method for protecting ecological security and supporting the management and sustainable development of ecosystems. Therefore, this study constructed a novel ESP based on ecological “function–structure”, utilizing minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) to identify ecological source areas and corridors. Additionally, time scales were introduced into the ESP, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of ecological security in the Loess Plateau. The study revealed that the number of ecological sources decreased from southeast to northwest, with 27, 41, and 77 sources covering total areas of 4263.810 km 2 , 18,566.034 km 2 , and 113,209.595 km 2 from 2000 to 2020, respectively. Similarly, the number and complexity of ecological corridors increased over the same time period, with 64, 85, and 105 corridors totaling lengths of 4579.326 km, 6526.996 km, and 7015.174 km, respectively. The expansion of ecological security zones was mainly observed in the southeast part of the Loess Plateau. Overall, the ESP of the Loess Plateau saw an improvement, with the southeastern part showing better ecological security than the northwestern part. These findings hold great significance for regional ecological security evaluations and are crucial for promoting ecological management and healthy development in the Loess Plateau.

Keywords: ecological security pattern; spatiotemporal evolution; ecological “structure–function”; MCR model; Gravity model; ecological security zone (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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