Land use and habitat quality change in the Yellow River Basin: A perspective with different CMIP6-based scenarios and multiple scales

Construction of urban-rural ecological networks with multi-scale nesting and composite functions based on the "red-green-blue" spatial perspective: A case study of Dali City, China

Urbanization has facilitated economic development while simultaneously resulting in various ecological issues. Constructing a multi-scale nested and composite functional urban-rural ecological network is crucial for improving ecological security. This study utilizes Dali City as a case study and employs methods including MSPA, circuit theory, and landscape connectivity index to develop the urban-rural habitat network, water green network, and recreation network, focusing on the " red-green-blue " spatial framework. An analysis of the spatial characteristics of source areas, corridors, ecological strategic points, and other spatial elements is conducted to establish a multi-level, multi-objective, and multifunctional composite urban-rural ecological network. The results show that: (1) 13 ecological source areas were identified in both the municipal and main urban areas, along with 22 ecological corridors in the municipal and 20 main urban areas. The distribution of ecological corridors was uniform across the study area. (2) The optimal width for the municipal biological corridor is 150 m, the main urban area should have a width of 90 m. The optimal width for rainwater corridors in municipal and main urban areas is 60 m. (3) The multi-scale nested ecological network identified 4 common ecological sources, 11 ecological corridors, 3 rainwater corridors, 6 wetland nodes, and 7 amusement nodes. Overall, the number of ecological nodes is limited, indicating a need for enhanced node construction. The research findings offer insights for developing ecological networks that integrate urban and rural functions, serving as a reference for ecological protection and restoration in pertinent regions.

Assessing the impact of human activities on ecosystem asset dynamics in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020

The intensification of human activities in the Yellow River Basin has significantly altered its ecosystems, challenging the sustainability of the region's ecosystem assets. This study constructs an ecosystem asset index for the period from 2001 to 2020, integrating it with human footprint maps to analyze the temporal and spatial dynamics of ecosystem assets and human activities within the basin, as well as their interrelationships. Our findings reveal significant improvement of ecosystem assets, mainly attributed to the conversion of farmland back into natural habitats, resulting in a 15,994 km2 increase in ecological land use. Notably, 45.88% of the basin has experienced concurrent growth in both human activities and ecosystem assets, with ecosystem assets expanding at a faster rate (22.61%) than human activities (17.25%). Areas with high-quality ecosystem assets are expanding, in contrast to areas with intense human activities, which are facing increased fragmentation. Despite a global escalation in threats from human activities to ecosystem assets, the local threat level within the Yellow River Basin has slightly diminished, indicating a trend towards stabilization. Results highlight the critical importance of integrating spatial and quality considerations into restoration efforts to enhance the overall condition of ecosystem assets, especially under increasing human pressures. Our work assesses the impact of human activities on the dynamics of ecosystem assets in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020, offering valuable insights for quality development in the region, may provide a scientific basis for general watershed ecological protection and sustainable management in a region heavily influenced by human activity but on a path to recovery.

Optimizing spatial patterns of ecosystem services in the Chang-Ji-Tu region (China) through Bayesian Belief Network and multi-scenario land use simulation

To foster an ecological civilization and ensure sustainable development of population resources, a critical focus of China's land spatial planning initiatives is the complex interplay among the prudent utilization of regional natural resources, stable socio-economic growth, and ecological environment preservation and governance. This interplay is vital for improving the population's quality of life, enhancing national resilience, and fostering the development of an ecological civilization. Within this context, this research focuses on the Chang-Ji-Tu region, employing a hybrid InVEST-Bayesian Belief Network-PLUS model. This approach facilitates a comprehensive assessment of habitat quality (HQ), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), crop production (CP), and total ecosystem services (TES) spanning 2005 to 2020, to optimize spatial structures based on these assessments. The findings indicate significant insights: (1) temporally, both HQ and CS exhibit an initial ascent followed by a subsequent decline, while SC demonstrates a rise, subsequent decrease, and then a gradual increase. CP shows a consistent increase, and TES initially decreases before experiencing a rise. Spatially, regions exhibiting high CP are primarily located in the northwest, in contrast to the southeast, demonstrating lower values. Conversely, HQ, CS, and SC exhibit lower values in the northwest and higher values in the southeast. TES exhibits considerable variability in the northwest and a more equilibrated distribution in the southeast. (2) A positive correlation is observed between land use/cover changes (LUCC) and HQ, CS, and SC, while a negative correlation is noted with CP and TES. (3) In exploring potential scenarios for economic development (ED), natural development (ND), and ecological protection (EP) in 2035, our study categorizes TES into distinct zones: ecological protection prohibited zones, ecological buffer prohibited zones, construction and development suitable zones, and restricted zones for arable land protection. This study, grounded in the current ecosystem status, thoroughly analyzes spatial structural optimization, offering crucial insights for future land spatial planning and ecological restoration.