Key Laboratory for Geographical Process Analysis & Simulation of Hubei Province, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 4;19(15):9582. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159582.
High-intensity urban development and economic exploitation have led to the fragmentation and isolation of regional habitat patches, and biodiversity is under serious threat. Scientific identification and effective optimization of ecological networks are essential for maintaining and restoring regional ecosystem connectivity and guiding sustainable socio-economic development. Taking the mountainous areas of southwest Hubei Province (MASHP) in central China as an example, this study first developed a new integrated approach to identify ecological sources based on a quantitative assessment of ecosystem services and the morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) method; it then used the Linkage Mapper tool to extract ecological corridors, applied the principle of hydrological analysis to identify ecological nodes, evaluated each ecological element to quantify its importance, and finally constructed the ecological network and further proposed some optimization countermeasures. The results show that the ecological network in the MASHP is dominated by ecological resources composed of forestland. Connectivity in the central region is significantly better than in other regions, including 49 ecological sources with an area of 3837.92 km, 125 ecological corridors with a total length of 2014.61 km, and 46 ecological nodes. According to the spatial distribution of crucial ecological landscape elements, a complete and systematic ecological framework of "two verticals, three belts, three groups, and multiple nodes" was proposed. The internal optimization of the ecological network in mountainous areas should focus on improving ecological flow, and strategies such as enhancing the internal connectivity of ecosystems, unblocking ecological corridors, and dividing ecological functional zones can be adopted. Based on the above analyses, this study also made recommendations for ecological protection and development and construction planning in mountainous areas. This study can provide realistic paths and scientific guidelines for ecological security and high-quality development in the MASHP, and it can also have implications for the construction of ecological networks and comprehensive ecological management in other mountainous areas.
高强度的城市发展和经济开发导致区域生境斑块破碎化和隔离，生物多样性受到严重威胁。科学识别和有效优化生态网络对于维护和恢复区域生态系统连通性以及指导可持续社会经济发展至关重要。以中国中部的鄂西南山区（MASHP）为例，本研究首先开发了一种新的综合方法，基于生态系统服务的定量评估和形态空间格局分析（MSPA）方法识别生态源；然后使用 Linkage Mapper 工具提取生态廊道，应用水文分析原理识别生态节点，评估每个生态要素以量化其重要性，最后构建生态网络，并进一步提出了一些优化对策。结果表明，MASHP 的生态网络主要由林地组成的生态资源构成。中心区域的连通性明显优于其他区域，包括 49 个面积为 3837.92km²的生态源、125 条总长度为 2014.61km 的生态廊道和 46 个生态节点。根据关键生态景观要素的空间分布，提出了“两纵三带三组团多点”的完整系统生态框架。山区生态网络的内部优化应侧重于改善生态流，可以采取增强生态系统内部连通性、打通生态廊道、划分生态功能区等策略。在此基础上，本研究还对山区的生态保护与发展、建设规划提出了建议。本研究可为 MASHP 的生态安全和高质量发展提供现实路径和科学指导，对其他山区生态网络建设和综合生态管理也具有启示意义。
