Ecological security patterns for coordinating development in frozen soil regions - construction framework by coupling...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Geography

Background:

• Ecosystems face degradation from global warming and human activities.
• Ecological Security Patterns (ESPs) are crucial for ecosystem protection.
• Existing ESP studies lack coordinated assessment across multiple indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel framework for constructing coordinated ESPs in frozen soil regions.
• To apply this framework in Heilongjiang Province, integrating multiple models.
• To identify an optimal ESP pattern balancing ecological security and regional development.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Multiple Criteria Comprehensive Analysis (MCCA), Minimum Operating Pattern (MOP), InVEST, and Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) models.
• Land use change simulation to 2035 under different development scenarios.
• Assessment of ecosystem service values including carbon storage, habitat quality, crop production, water yield, and soil conservation.
• Identification and analysis of ecological sources and corridors under various scenarios.

Main Results:

• Land use in Heilongjiang Province is projected to stabilize by 2035, with cropland and woodland dominating.
• Ecosystem service values show a consistent "low-high-low" distribution, with minimal changes except for water yield and soil conservation under the Economic Priority Development (EPD) scenario.
• The Frozen Soil Protection (FSP) scenario yielded the most optimal ecological sources and corridors, suggesting it best ensures ecological security, despite the EPD scenario having the broadest spatial extent.

Conclusions:

• A coordinated ESP framework is essential for managing ecosystems in frozen soil regions.
• The proposed "one ring, three corridors, and four cores" pattern offers an optimized approach for Heilongjiang Province.
• This study provides a valuable framework for coordinating regional development and ecological security in similar environments.