Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (4): 1259-1269.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.04.26

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Landscape pattern vulnerability and its influencing factors on a semi-arid lake basin: A case study of Liangcheng County

ZHANG Yunxia1(),ZHANG Jinxi1,2,GONG Jie1()   

  1. 1. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    2. Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
  • Received:2022-01-26 Revised:2022-03-04 Online:2022-07-15 Published:2022-09-26
  • Contact: Jie GONG E-mail:zhangyunxia20@lzu.edu.cn;jgong@lzu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Research on landscape spatiotemporal variation and its pattern vulnerability can provide a scientific basis for regional landscape optimization and ecological protection. Based on six periods of landscape type data from 1980 to 2020, this paper analyzes the lake basin landscape and its variation process in Liangcheng County. Moreover, a comprehensive evaluation index of landscape vulnerability is constructed by using landscape sensitivity and adaptability indexes to analyze the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics and influencing factors of landscape pattern vulnerability in the entire county. The main findings are listed below. (1) The landscape types of Liangcheng County have significantly changed over the past 40 years. Except for the unused land, the dynamic degree of cultivated land, forestland, and grassland from 1980 to 1995, that of each landscape type from 1995 to 2010, and that of waters and construction land from 2010 to 2020 are the largest, which indirectly reflects the life and production modes of the study area in different periods. (2) The landscape pattern vulnerability was mainly medium and high-grade with an area of more than 70% in Liangcheng Country from 1980 to 2020. The areas of high landscape pattern vulnerability were mainly concentrated in the central and southeast of Liangcheng, and the low-value areas were located in the Daihai and its northern parts. The landscape vulnerability integrated index generally decreased first; this index then increased and finally decreased. Moreover, the spatial aggregation increased, indicating that the ecological environment began to improve. (3) The vulnerability of ecological environments is significantly different in various landscape types and topographies in the study area. Forestland and grassland have more higher vulnerability and water has the lowest vulnerability among all landscape types. The landscape pattern vulnerability is the lowest in the area with an altitude of <1300 m and a slope of <5° and the highest with an altitude of 1700-1900 m and a slope of 25°-40° on different altitudes and slopes. (4) The gray correlation analysis revealed that the population, water area, and farmland area are the leading factors that affected the landscape pattern vulnerability, indicating that human activities significantly impacted the ecological environment more than climatic factors in the study area. Optimizing landscape structure, reducing excessive disturbance, and protecting water resources and their environment are the primary ways to reduce the vulnerability of landscape patterns and ecological protection in Liangcheng Country.

Key words: lake-basin, landscape pattern ecological vulnerability, landscape pattern vulnerability integrated index, influencing factors, Liangcheng County