Assessment of Multiple Ecosystem Services and Ecological Security Pattern in Shanxi Province, China

Jinfeng Wang, Ya Li, Sheng Wang (), Qing Li, Lingfeng Li and Xiaoling Liu
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Jinfeng Wang: School of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Ya Li: School of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Sheng Wang: School of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Qing Li: Institute of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Academy of Sciences, Hebei Engineering Research Center for Geographic Information Application, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
Lingfeng Li: School of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Xiaoling Liu: School of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: The ecological security pattern construction could effectively regulate ecological processes and ensure ecological functions, then rationally allocate natural resources and green infrastructure, and, finally, realize ecological security. In view of serious soil erosion, accelerated land desertification, soil pollution and habitat degradation in Shanxi Province, the spatial distribution of six key ecosystem services, including water conservation (WC), soil conservation (SC), sand fixation (SF), carbon storage (CS), net primary productivity (NPP) and habitat quality (HQ), was analyzed by using multiple models. The comprehensive ability of multiple ecosystem services in different regions was quantified by calculating multiple ecosystem services landscape index (MESLI). Combined with ecosystem services hotspots, the ecological security pattern of Shanxi Province was constructed by using the minimum cumulative resistance model. The results showed that the spatial differences in ecosystem services in Shanxi Province were obvious, which was low in the seven major basins and Fen River valley, and high in the mountains (especially Taihang and Lvliang Mountains) for WC, SC, CS, NPP and HQ, while high SF was only distributed in the northern Shanxi. The MESLI showed that the ability to provide multiple ecosystem services simultaneously was low in Shanxi Province, with the medium and low grade MESLI regions accounting for 58.61%, and only 18.07% for the high grade MESLI regions. The important protected areas and ecological sources of the ecological security pattern were concentrated in the Lvliang and Taihang Mountains, which were consistent with the key areas of ecosystem services. The ecological corridors illustrated network distribution with ecological sources as the center, the low-, medium- and high-level buffers accounted for 26.34%, 17.03% and 16.35%, respectively. The results will provide important implications for economic transformation, high-quality development and ecological sustainable development in resource-based regions worldwide.

Keywords: ecosystem services; ecological security pattern; hotspot analysis; minimum cumulative resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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