Construction and spatial optimization of ecological network in Shaanxi Province based on LUCC and its ESV response

Abstract

[Objective] Building ecological networks and optimizing ecological space layouts play an important role in coordinating the sustainable development of regional social-economic systems and ecological environments. [Methods] Taking Shaanxi Province as an example, this study constructed an ecological network model based on the analysis of land use and cover change (LUCC) and the quantitative evaluation of ecosystem service value (ESV) by using the MSPA method and the Linkage Mapper tool, and further carried out a study on the optimal layout of ecological space. [Results] The results show that: (1) The area of each land use category in Shaanxi Province changed significantly between 2000 and 2020, and the changes in area (absolute value) during the period were, in descending order: arable land > forest land > construction land > grassland > unused land > water area; (2) The value of ecosystem services in Shaanxi Province increased by 4.784 billion yuan, and its spatial distribution pattern remained stable overall, with high-value areas mainly distributed in the Qinling Mountains, the Bashan Mountains, and the southern part of Yan’an City, and low-value areas concentrated in the Guanzhong area; (3) This study identified 30 ecological source sites with a total area of 46465.92 km2, and extracted 62 ecological corridors, 36 ecological pinch points, and 85 ecological barrier points, which together form an ecological network; (4) We proposed an ecological space optimization plan of “five belts, six zones, multiple corridors, and multiple clusters”, providing a reference for the restoration and management of ecological space in Shaanxi Province. [Conclusion] Constructing an ecological network model from LUCC and ESV changes, identifying problematic areas in the ecological space, and proposing targeted strategies can effectively solve the problems of ecological damage and isolated ecological islands in the process of land use change, providing a scientific guidance for coordinating the ecological protection of the provincial area and promoting the sustainable development of the region, as well as providing scientific references for the preparation of territorial spatial planning.

Keywords

• |land use change|ecosystem service value|ecological network|spatial optimization|shaanxi province