The Minjiang River Basin is one of the first pilot areas for ecological conservation and the restoration of mountain–river–forest–farmland–lake–grass in China. Taking the Minjiang River Basin as an example, this paper selected the importance of ecosystem service functions and ecological sensitivity to evaluate the ecological environment and identify ecological sources. Furthermore, we constructed an ecological resistance surface using artificial and natural interference factors. Through a minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR), the ecological security pattern (ESP) of “two barriers, one belt, many corridors, and many spots” was constructed. Research shows that: (1) In total, 43 ecological sources were identified, with a total area of 523 km2, accounting for 0.6% of the total land area. These were mainly distributed in the southwest and northwest of the Minjiang River Basin, such as in Zhangping, covered forest land, and cultivated land. (2) The connectivity of the network was low, and the spatial distribution of the ecological pinch points was uneven. A total of 118 ecological corridors and 22 important ecological pinch points were identified. The total length of the ecological corridor is 3,732,051.88 km, which is dense on the left side and sparse on the right side. (3) The ecological restoration area was composed of a low ecological safety area and a lower ecological safety area; the ecological control area was composed of a medium ecological safety area and a higher ecological safety area; and the ecological conservation area was composed of a high ecological safety area, at 6.5%, 27.7%, and 65.8%, respectively. Constructing the ESP of the Minjiang River Basin is important for promoting harmonious socioeconomic development and ecological protection. In addition, it can provide a reference basis for other experimental areas of mountain–river–forest–farmland–lake–grass.
Urban expansion has resulted in the fragmentation of green spaces. Based on the concept of a living community that integrates mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands, the extraction of key elements in green spaces of regional ecosystems provides core scientific support for the ecological restoration of territorial spaces. According to the ecological service function importance and ecological sensitivity, the ecological sources were identified in this study. Furthermore, we distinguished the ecological corridors using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and identified the key areas of green spaces using the circuit theory model. The result showed that (1) 62 ecological sources were present with a total area of 4696 km2, of which green space accounted for 98.19%; meanwhile, 151 ecological corridors (optimal path) were densely distributed in the southwest region around the Daimao and Bopingling mountains. (2) The key areas of ecological restoration in the study area included 17 key ecological sources and 19 key ecological corridors. The area covered by ecological pinch points was 1327 km2, among which 77.54% of green space comprised forest area. The area of ecological barriers was 9647 km2, and the forest area still accounted for the highest proportion (63.92%). (3) Based on a comprehensive analysis of the spatial distribution of key areas of ecological restoration and green spaces, we formulated classified ecological restoration measures. The study findings are expected to provide a reference for planning the ecological restoration of territorial spaces.
The Tingjiang Watershed is a typical mountainous area with red soil in the south of China. Due to the high rainfall intensity, significant cultivated land expansion, and accelerated urbanization, ecological problems such as soil erosion are prominent in the study area. Based on the land use, precipitation, digital elevation model (DEM), normalized difference vegetation Index (NDVI), and soil types in 2000, 2010, and 2020, the landscape pattern and soil conservation in the Tingjiang Watershed were assessed at the sub-watershed scale. The spatial correlation between soil conservation and landscape pattern was analyzed using GeoDA software. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the total amount of soil conservation decreased by 4.15 × 108 t. In terms of spatial analysis, the amount of soil conservation in the Tingjiang Watershed showed an upward and then downward trend in the north and a downward trend in the south, with the most obvious downward trend in the southeast and the northeast. (2) Fragmentation of the overall landscape pattern in the Tingjiang Watershed has increased. The discrete degree and homogeneity of patches decreased in Changting County, while landscape heterogeneity and homogeneity increased in Shanghang, Liancheng, and Yongding Counties. (3) Soil conservation was significantly correlated with the landscape indices patch density (PD), landscape shape index (LSI), mean patch area (AREA_MN), patch cohesion index (COHESION), splitting index (SPLIT), and Shannon evenness index (SHEI). Sub-watersheds with low soil conservation had landscape splitting index, landscape dispersion, patch type richness, and boundary complexity. These areas were mainly distributed in the southern part of the watershed. Sub-watersheds with higher soil conservation were characterized by low patch fragmentation and strong connectivity of dominant patches, which were mainly located in the northern part of the watershed. (4) The spatial error model (SEM) fit better in 2000, 2010, and 2020 compared with the spatial lag model (SLM) and ordinary least squares regression (OLS). The diagnostic results of the SEM model show that among the six landscape indices, PD, SHEI, and AREA_MN are the main influencing factors affecting soil conservation in the watershed to different degrees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the response state of soil conservation capacity as landscape patterns evolve in the Tingjiang Watershed, with the goal of providing a reference for landscape planning and management as well as soil erosion management in the watershed.
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