Variations of Habitat Quality and Ecological Risk and Their Correlations with Landscape Metrics in a Robust Human Disturbed Coastal Region—Case Study: Xinggang Town in Southern China

Huiqing Han (), Zhihua Su and Guangbin Yang
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Huiqing Han: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, China
Zhihua Su: School of Management Science, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
Guangbin Yang: School of Geographical and Environmental Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: This paper explores how landscape risk and habitat quality vary in coastal areas with strong anthropogenic disturbance based on a case study. We analyze the temporal–spatial variations of habitat quality and ecological risk in the coastal region by adopting the methods of theInVEST model and the ecological risk index. The correlations of habitat quality and ecological risk with landscape metrics are subsequently quantified. The results indicated the presence of obvious distance gradients in relation to the deterioration of habitat quality and the increase in ecological risk. Moreover, the gradient area close to the coastline exhibits significant habitat quality and ecological risk changes. The majority of landscape metrics show positive correlations with habitat quality and ecological risk, and these correlations vary with the distance gradients. Since the rapid urbanization of the coastal region, the marked expansion of built-up land and decrease in natural landscapes has significantly impacted the landscape pattern index and, consequently, changed the habitat quality and ecological risk level.

Keywords: habitat quality; ecological risk; landscape metrics; spatial–temporal change; distance gradient; coastal region; Xinggang town (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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