Evolution and Optimization of an Ecological Network in an Arid Region Based on MSPA-MCR: A Case Study of the Hexi Corridor

Xifeng Zhang (), Xiaowei Cui and Shuiming Liang
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Xifeng Zhang: College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Xiaowei Cui: College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Shuiming Liang: College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Under the background of climate change, the problems of water resource allocation and desertification in arid areas are becoming increasingly prominent, which seriously threatens the sustainable development of society. Constructing an ecological network is an important measure to improve the ecological environment and maintain ecological service function. This study takes the Hexi Corridor as an example and relies on land use data from 2000 to 2020, and comprehensively applies methods, such as morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR), and the network evaluation index to construct and optimize the ecological network of the Hexi Corridor. Our results show: (1) the spatial distribution of the landscape elements in the Hexi Corridor was not uniform and that the ecological foundation in the north was poor; (2) the resistance surface was “low in the south and high in the north”, with low-value areas mainly located to the south of Jiuquan City, Zhangye City, and Wuwei City, and the high-value areas were mainly located in the middle and to the north of Jiuquan City and Wuwei City; (3) the ecological source areas, corridors, and nodes showed a fluctuating upward trend, and they were mainly located to the southwest of Zhangye City, Jiuquan City, and Wuwei City; (4) the network closure ( α ), line point rate ( β ), and network connectivity ( γ ) showed a W-shaped change trend; (5) after the ecological network optimization, 22 new ecological source areas, 78 new corridors, and 61 new nodes were added, as a result, the α , β , and γ indices all increased. Our results provide a reference for ecological environment restoration research and serve as a regionally balanced means of sustainably developing the Hexi Corridor.

Keywords: ecological network; morphological spatial pattern analysis; minimum cumulative resistance model; network evaluation index; Hexi Corridor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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