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Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3): 581-593.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.297

• Regional Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial optimization and regulation in the Irtysh River Basin from the perspective of production-living-ecological function

YANG Jiahui1,2,3(), LIU Xiaohuang2,3,4(), SHI Peng1, LI Peng1, LIU Run2,3,4, ZHU Ping2,3,4, MA Min2,3,4, WU Guangjie2,3,4   

  1. 1. Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, Shaanxi China
    2. Key Laboratory of Coupling Process and Effect of Natural Resources Elements, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100055, China
    3. Xinjiang Altay Natural Resources Element Field Observation Research Station, Altay 836500, Xinjiang, China
    4. Integrated Natural Resources Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Beijing 100055, China
  • Received:2025-05-27 Revised:2025-08-17 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-03-24
  • Contact: LIU Xiaohuang E-mail:yjh20011215@163.com;liuxh19972004@163.com

Abstract:

The spatial planning and regulation of “production-living-ecological” spaces in the Irtysh River Basin of Xinjiang, China, have significant theoretical and practical value. This study establishes a multi-scale evaluation index system integrating spatial grids and administrative units to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of “production-living-ecological” land use from 2000 to 2023. The coupling coordination degree of these spaces is further diagnosed, and optimization pathways are proposed based on the future land use simulation model. The main findings are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2023, production and living spaces of Irtysh River Basin expanded by 1199 km2 and 94 km2, respectively, whereas ecological space contracted by 1319 km2. This ecological degradation mainly resulted from agricultural expansion into grassland and forest ecological spaces, as well as urban sprawl. (2) High-suitability production areas are concentrated around urban zones, while low suitability areas are constrained by unused lands such as gobi deserts. The suitability of living spaces improved with urbanization, although unused lands continue to exhibit low suitability. Ecological spaces display a “mountain optimization-plain degradation” pattern. (3) From 2000 to 2023, the number of grids with slight imbalances in “production-living-ecological” coordination increased, mainly in Fuyun and Jeminai counties, whereas grids with near imbalances decreased, primarily in Burqin and Habahe counties. In contrast, the number of grids achieving basic or good coordination increased markedly, particularly in Habahe County, Altay City, Fuhai County, and Beitun City. (4) Improvement of territorial space functionsin the Irtysh River Basin should prioritize ecological conservation while ensuring food security, with targeted conversion of farmland to grassland in ecologically suitable but production-constrained areas to enhance regional ecosystem services.

Key words: “production-living-ecological” function, suitability evaluation, sustainability evaluation, multi-scale integration, scenario simulation, Irtysh River Basin