Ecological vulnerability assessment of the Ya’an-Qamdo section along the southern route of the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor

Abstract

Identifying the ecological vulnerability of the sensitive and fragile ecosystem of the Ya’an-Qamdo section along the southern route of the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor is of paramount importance to reduce environmental damage resulting from infrastructure construction. This paper divided the Ya’an-Qamdo transport section into 22 subzones according to their ecological environment characteristics. Based on the vulnerability evaluation model established by the fuzzy matter-element analysis method, the eight main assessment indicators of ecological vulnerability were windstorm, rainstorm, snowstorm, extreme temperature, extreme air pressure, geological hazard, natural conditions, and social resources. The rating and ranking of vulnerability in each subzone were based on the weight of the judgment indicators. Scientific processes were used to verify the rationality of both the indicators themselves and their weights. The results of this study show that subzone 9, located in the subalpine cold and humid forest and scrubland zone, is the most vulnerable, and subzone 1, located in the low- to mid-land warm and humid forest zone, is the least vulnerable. The conclusion of the study suggests that targeted measures of ecological protection should be formulated before development and construction of major transportation infrastructure. Construction should evade the most vulnerable areas, and in-depth research on ecological restoration should be carried out in low- to mid-vulnerability areas so that the ecological environment along the route can be protected effectively for sustainable economic and social development.