Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Ecological Vulnerability Based on Vulnerability Scoring Diagram Model in Shennongjia, China

Abstract

Background Shennongjia is one of the most important ecological function areas and ecologically vulnerable zones in the world. With the rapid development of social economies, especially tourism, the ecological environment of Shennongjia has experienced profound changes. To describe an assessment method of ecological vulnerability, explain its application in Shennongjia, and propose optimization strategies to reduce the risk of ecosystem vulnerability and maintain regional ecological security and stability. Results (1) During the study period, the overall ecological vulnerability of Shennongjia is in a mild vulnerability level, exhibiting differentiation characteristics of high in the northeast and low in the southwest. High vulnerability zones are mainly distributed in the main towns and roads of Shennongjia. (2) The risk of ecological vulnerability of the entire region presents the characteristics of continuous decline. The ecological vulnerability composite index reaches the lowest value of 2.51 in 2018. (3) Land-use types, population density, and vegetation coverage are the main factors driving the evolution of ecological vulnerability. (4) A high level of coupling coordination exists between ecological vulnerability and landscape patterns, and the contribution of patch number and aggregation index to ecological vulnerability is substantial. Conclusions Analyses of the ecological vulnerability of Shennongjia shows that the entire region is in a mild vulnerability level. The extreme vulnerability risk of the northeast, south and southwest areas appears gradually, the vulnerability degree of the ecological environment shows polarization. The evolution of ecological environment in Shennongjia is the result of the interaction between human activities and natural environment. This study offers an effective way to assess ecological vulnerability and provides some strategies and guidance for improving ecological security.