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Arid Land Geography ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (11): 1995-2004.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2024.709

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Ecological security status of Inner Mongolia based on ecological niche and the Lotka-Volterra model

LI Xuemin1(), WANG Feifei1, WU Zhenguo2(), ZHANG Yunkai1, PAN Yueming1   

  1. 1. School of Finance and Taxation, Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics, Hohhot 010070, Inner Mongolia, China
    2. Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Sciences, Hohhot 010010, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2024-11-20 Revised:2025-03-29 Online:2025-11-25 Published:2025-11-26
  • Contact: WU Zhenguo E-mail:lixuemin@imufe.edu.cn;skywuzg@163.com

Abstract:

Ecological security is a key component of national security. It is very important to scientifically assess the state of ecological security to optimize the scientific management of regional ecosystems, enhancing ecological conservation and promoting high-quality development. This study constructs an ecological security evaluation index system based on the driving forces-pressures-state-impacts-responses (DPSIR) framework, introduces the ecological niche width into the Lotka-Volterra model, and uses the center-of-gravity standard deviation ellipse analysis, radar charts, and trend surface analysis to identify the temporal and spatial characteristics of ecological security in Inner Mongolia of China, as well as the trade-off relationship between the ecological and economic systems, from 2012 to 2023. The findings indicate the following: (1) The ecological security situation in Inner Mongolia showed an overall improvement from 2012 to 2023. The type of ecological security gradually shifted from red-risk to blue sub-security, with the proportion of safe areas increasing from 16.67% in 2012 to 25.00% in 2023 and the proportion of dangerous areas decreasing from 33.33% in 2012 to 0% in 2023. The level of ecological and economic symbiosis showed an upward trend. (2) In terms of spatial distribution of safety, the number of red-risk leagues and cities has decreased across the eastern, central, and western regions Inner Mongolia. By 2023, all regions had transitioned to at least the sensitive zone or higher, predominantly distributed in recovery and safe zones. Both Alagxa League in the west and Hulun Buir City in the east showed significant fluctuations, indicating unstable ecological security. (3) The ecological security center of gravity witnessed a trend of migration from the northeast to the southwest. Likewise, the ecological security standard deviation ellipse also exhibited an evolution trend, first expanding to the northeast and then becoming concentrated in the southwest. (4) The ecological niche widths of economic and ecological systems were relatively high in the central leagues and cities, with a good overall symbiotic condition between ecology and economy, with the ecological and economic systems of the eastern and western leagues being still in a competitive state, where the symbiosis between systems requires further improvement. These findings provide actionable insights for the optimization of ecological security governance in Inner Mongolia, and they offer an important reference value for assessments of ecological vulnerability in analogous regions nationwide.

Key words: ecological niche, Lotka-Volterra model, ecological security, Inner Mongolia