Ecological Security and Ecosystem Quality: A Case Study of Xia-Zhang-Quan Metropolitan Area in China

Abstract

Ecological security patterns are an effective tool by which to balance economic development with ecological protection. This study used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model in conjunction with circuit theory to evaluate ecosystem quality from four dimensions: background conditions, topography, landscape structure, and ecological resistance. Our objective was to identify ecological “pinch points” in order to create an ecological security pattern that would be sustainable under a range of land use functions. We selected as the research target the Xia-Zhang-Quan metropolitan area in China due to the extensive soil erosion and general degradation of ecosystems caused by its rapid socio-economic development. Our analysis identified 17 ecological source sites covering 11,512 km2, which accounts for 45.36% of the total area. The inter-source corridor includes 31 key corridors and 10 potential corridors covering 3305 km. The average ecosystem quality of this area was estimated at 0.65 at an optimal granularity of 400 m. The distribution of resistance values in the study area was relatively concentrated with the land divided into an ecological buffer zone (34.6%), an environmentally sensitive zone (10.9%), and a blocking zone (9.2%). Our analysis also revealed various corridors based on the regional and functional characteristics of ecological elements and improvement strategies at the pinch points to help restore the function of ecological sources. Protection of these corridors will help to maintain regional ecological security patterns and optimize the structure of ecological spaces with the aim of achieving sustainable development.