Multi-functional identification of social-ecological landscape in ecologically fragile areas under the background of regional transformation development

To realize the coordinated development of regional economy, society, and ecosystem is the ultimate goal of economic development and ecological protection in ecologically fragile areas. The multi-functional identification of socio-ecological landscape in ecologically fragile areas is helpful to alleviate the practical contradictions and conflicts faced by the region, and to better realize the optimal allocation of regional resources and the formulation of rational regional land management and planning strategies. This study takes Mizhi County, the most prominent and representative area of the ecologically fragile areas of the Loess Plateau, as the research area. The three dimensions of the ecosystem, social system, and production system were used to construct a landscape multi-functionality identification and evaluation model. A comprehensive identification method for the landscape multi-functionality evaluation, dominant-secondary function recognition, and dominant-secondary obstacle function recognition were carried out to realize the recognition of the landscape multi-functionality. The results were the following: (1) The identification of the landscape multi-functionality through multi-objective optimal decision making with limited scheme for the determination of regional functions should follow the optimal decision rule. (2) The multi-function comprehensive identification method for the landscape could be used to scientifically identify the landscape multi-functions in the ecologically fragile areas. (3) The multi-functions of the social-ecological landscape were obvious. An area with an extreme value was prominent and presented a state of aggregation. The spatial difference between the dominant and secondary functions (obstacle functions) was strong, and the degree of interdependence between functions was high. This study provides a scientific reference for landscape optimization management in the ecologically fragile areas of the Loess Plateau.