Habitat Protection in Urban–Rural Fringes through Coordinated Ecological Network Construction and Territorial Planning

Abstract

Urban–rural fringes (URFs) are crucial for biodiversity yet often neglected in conservation efforts. This study refines URF habitat evaluation and integrates it into a coordinated ecological network (EN) and territorial planning framework. Using Qingpu District, Shanghai as a case study, we defined its URF via k-means clustering of night-time light data and applied the InVEST model, MSPA, Integrated Habitat Value, Patch Importance, and Betweenness Centrality analyses to identify high-value URF habitats. Furthermore, we constructed the EN using circuit theory and evaluated the impact of URF sources on network connectivity and construction costs. Our findings reveal that integrating URF sources increased connectivity indices significantly (α by 127.18%, β by 47.00%, and γ by 33.4%) and decreased construction costs (CR index by 0.07). Despite these benefits, under China’s “Three Zones and Three Lines” policy, 78.18% of Qingpu’s URF sources remain unprotected, with 56.78% at risk of conversion to construction land. Our study proposes a comprehensive evaluation system for URF habitats and strategic recommendations for their incorporation into regional ENs, thus informing policy making and planning for more inclusive ecological conservation.