Identifying and optimizing ecological spatial patterns based on the bird distribution in the Yellow River Basin,
Chenglong Xu1, Qiang Yu1, Fei Wang1
1College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
Journal of Environmental Management
|October 12, 2023
Summary
Ecological networks in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) were built using bird communities to preserve biodiversity. This study identified 475 sources and 681 corridors, creating a vital protection network for species survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Background:
- The Yellow River Basin (YRB) faces biodiversity loss due to habitat fragmentation from rapid economic development.
- Constructing ecological networks is a key strategy for biodiversity preservation in the YRB.
- Bird communities serve as effective indicator species for assessing habitat connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct a bird diversity protection network in the YRB.
- To identify critical ecological sources and corridors for bird species.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of ecological stepping stones in enhancing connectivity.
Main Methods:
- Combined bioclimatic variables and land use data with Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) and InVEST models to identify ecological sources.
- Generated a resistance surface using Digital Elevation Model (DEM), NDVI, NDWI, nighttime light, and various density data.
- Simulated ecological corridors using the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model.
Main Results:
- Bird hotspots were concentrated upstream and downstream in the YRB.
- Identified 475 ecological sources (65,088 km²) and 681 corridors (11,495.05 km).
- Ecological corridors formed a dense east-west pattern in the central YRB, connecting fragmented habitats.
Conclusions:
- The constructed ecological network is crucial for sustaining and protecting biodiversity in the YRB.
- Ecological stepping stones significantly optimize the protection network more than enhancing general ecological connectivity.
- The findings provide a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation planning in the YRB.
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