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Arid Land Geography ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (11): 1778-1791.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.053

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Zoning for ecological conservation and restoration in Liupan Mountain area based on ecological importance and sensitivity evaluation

BAO Yubin1(),HUANG Tao1,WANG Yaozong2,HU Sheng3,LYU Lintao1,TANG Yijuan1,GU Jisheng1   

  1. 1. Ningxia Remote Sensing Surveying and Mapping Institute,Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    2. Ningxia Ecological Environment Information and Emergency Center, Yinchuan 750021, Ningxia, China
    3. College of Urban and Environmental Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2023-02-09 Revised:2023-03-30 Online:2023-11-25 Published:2023-12-05

Abstract:

Establishing a benign, healthy, and high-quality territorial space through systematic, all-regions, all-elements, and whole-process ecological restoration is crucial from the perspective of the life community of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grass, and sand. However, identification and zoning of ecological conservation and restoration areas are prerequisites for adopting differentiated ecological restoration and constructing a high-quality ecological security pattern for the territorial space, which in turn ensures a stable and healthy development of the regional ecosystem. Currently, guidance and method support for territorial spatial zoning are urgent needs for implementing systematic ecological conservation and restoration in Ningxia, China. The Liupan Mountain area in Ningxia, with its key ecological position and rich ecological resources, plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining regional ecological security. In this study, taking the Liupan Mountain area as the research region, we construct a comprehensive indicator system that views ecosystems from a two-dimensional perspective of “service-problem”. This system optimizes and streamlines the dimensions, scales, and indicators previously used, addressing past simplifications. Based on this framework, we employ mainstream ecological restoration zoning methods, such as the InVEST model, spatial overlay mapping, and comprehensive index weighting. We apply a grid-based unit scale to quantitatively evaluate the importance and sensitivity of ecological services, ultimately completing ecological conservation and restoration zones and clarifying ecological restoration strategies. The key results of this study include the following: (1) The highly important areas of ecological services account for 33.4%, presenting a “south-north” corridor extending from Liupan Mountain to Nanhua Mountain, along with a centralized distribution within the “Yuanzhou-Pengyang” county territory. They serve as the main suppliers of ecological functions and present opportunities for optimization and upgrading within the region. (2) The highly sensitive area of the ecosystem accounts for 32.0%, which is concentrated in the “Haiyuan-Xiji” county territory and the eastern region of Yuanzhou County. They represent the main areas of ecological function demand and are the focus of conservation and restoration efforts in the region. (3) The proportion of ecological reserve zones is 15.7%, which requires strict ecological protection and monitoring management to promote structural optimization and functional upgrading within the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the proportion of ecological restoration zones and conservation zones accounted for 17.7% and 26.1%, respectively. They require comprehensive efforts to improve ecological benefits and control the risk of ecological degradation, which are guided by soil erosion control and land desertification prevention. The proportion of ecological regulation zones is 40.5%, exploring a transformation path for comprehensive optimization and coordination of the development and conservation pattern of the territorial space, particularly in the context of the “two mountains” initiative. The results of this study provide important spatial guidance for systematic and differentiated ecological conservation and restoration, as well as for the formulation of policies and project layout within the territorial space of the Liupan Mountain area.

Key words: territorial space, ecological restoration, spatial distance index, InVEST model, Liupan Mountain area