Assessment of Ecological Vulnerability on Northern Sand Prevention Belt of China Based on the Ecological Pressure–Sensibility–Resilience Model

Xiufen Li, Lining Song, Zunbo Xie, Tian Gao, Tingting Wang, Xiao Zheng, Jiang Liu and Limin Liu
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Xiufen Li: Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Lining Song: CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Zunbo Xie: Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Tian Gao: CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Tingting Wang: Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Xiao Zheng: CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Jiang Liu: Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Limin Liu: Agronomy College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Quantitative assessment of ecological vulnerability is of great significance for ecological protection and restoration in ecologically vulnerable regions. Here, the ecological vulnerability of the northern sand prevention belt (NSPB) of China was assessed using an ecological pressure–sensibility–resilience model from 2000 to 2015. Results showed that the ecological vulnerability index (EVI) displayed low values in the eastern part and high values in the western part of the study region. The EVI ranged from 0.29 to 1.32 in 2000, with the mean value of 0.88, whereas it averaged 0.78 in 2015, ranging from 0.21 to 1.26. Decreasing EVI from 2000 to 2015 indicated that the ecological status has been improved. Moreover, the area proportion of moderately, heavily, and extremely ecological vulnerability levels occupied approximately 87% in both 2000 and 2015, indicating a high ecological vulnerability level. Furthermore, the change in area proportion of different ecological vulnerability levels were associated with the change in the spatial distribution of vegetation coverage, indicating that eco-environmental protection projects were indeed effective. These findings indicated that differential strategies in different restoration zones should be adopted, especially in the western parts of the study region, and eco-environmental protection projects should be reinforced to improve the ecological restoration.

Keywords: ecologically vulnerable regions; ecological protection and restoration; principal component analysis; ecological restoration projects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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