Assessing Landscape Ecological Risk from Mining in the River Source Region of the Yellow River Basin

Wenjia Xu, Weiling Yao (), Hao Wang (), Jinzhong Yang, Tiantian Yu and Hang Yu
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Wenjia Xu: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Weiling Yao: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Hao Wang: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Jinzhong Yang: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Tiantian Yu: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China
Hang Yu: China Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: The river source region of the Yellow River Basin is a critical ecological barrier in China, yet it is characterized by extreme environmental vulnerability. Human activities, particularly intensive mining, can severely disrupt the landscape ecosystem and alter its spatial patterns. The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive landscape ecological risk assessment, analyzing the spatial differentiation and driving factors of these risks to ensure regional ecological security. Employing high-resolution remote sensing technology, a comprehensive assessment of landscape ecological risk in the river source region of the Yellow River Basin was conducted based on the 2020 mining development status. The landscape ecological risk index (ERI k ) was applied to evaluate risk distribution patterns, while the Geodetector model implemented in R was utilized to identify and analyze key driving factors. The results were as follows: (1) The study area exhibited an elevated landscape ecological risk. (2) Anthropogenic disturbances, such as urban construction, residential activities, and mining, combined with a widespread cropland distribution, degraded alpine grasslands, and high landscape fragility, were identified as major contributors to the elevated landscape ecological risk in the study area. (3) Habitat quality and population density remain the most significant factors driving the spatial differentiation of landscape ecological risk, and their interaction strongly governs the spatial distribution of such risk. In contrast, mining development intensity is not a dominant factor influencing the spatial heterogeneity of landscape ecological risk at the regional scale in the study area. This assessment reveals the extent of ecological risk associated with mining and other human activities and its key drivers.

Keywords: the river source region of the Yellow River Basin; landscape ecological risk; landscape pattern; remote sensing; ecological security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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