Arid Zone Research ›› 2024, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (7): 1207-1216.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.12

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Identification and optimization strategy of an ecological network in Inner Mongolia based on “service importance-habitat sensitivity-biodiversity”

LIU Xin1,2(), WANG Liqun3, LI Haoran1, LI Yonghong1(), QIAO Wenguang1, LI Lijuan1, WANG Chenxu4   

  1. 1. Geological Survey Academy of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot 010020, Inner Mongolia, China
    2. Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010020, Inner Mongolia, China
    3. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Resource Conservation and Utilization Research Center, Hohhot 010020, Inner Mongolia, China
    4. State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
  • Received:2023-12-29 Revised:2024-03-23 Online:2024-07-15 Published:2024-08-01

Abstract:

The identification of ecological spatial quality and the construction of regional conservation networks are of great significance for optimizing habitat layout, improving ecological carrying capacity, and maintaining ecosystem stability. Taking the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as an example, this study constructed a conservation network identification framework of “service importance-habitat sensitivity-biodiversity” and identified ecological source areas by evaluating the ecosystem service importance and habitat sensitivity. Based on these findings, the study, coupled with the existing nature reserve system, utilized the Least Cumulative Resistance model to identify important ecological corridors and construct a conservation network in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The ecological stepping stones and obstacle points to be optimized were extracted by analyzing the spatial superposition relationship between ecological corridors and infrastructure. The results show that (1) the area of Class I ecological source sites in the region was 3.80×104 km2, accounting for 3.21% of the total study area, with a high degree of overlap with the red line of ecological protection. (2) A total of 84 potential ecological corridors were identified based on nature reserves and Class I ecological source sites, with a total length of 15910 km, and a combination of ecological source sites, potential corridors, and bird migratory corridors was used to construct the Inner Mongolia conservation network. (3) In total, five bird migration corridors, ten stepping-stone-quality habitat construction sites, and 81 ecological barrier repair sites were identified. These results can provide data support and location reference for the management and construction of species migration and energy flow networks in ecological protection and restoration projects in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Key words: minimum cumulative resistance model, ecological network, ecological stepping stones, ecological barrier points, Inner Mongolia