Search Results (4)

Although the exploitation of coal resources has driven regional economic growth, it has also inflicted considerable ecological damage. The sustainable development of ecological security in coal resource-exhausted villages is challenged by multiple pressures, states, and response requirements. Identifying potential risks and assessing the coupling coordination in these areas is a critical research topic for promoting their transformation and development. This study uses Jiawang District, a representative coal resource-exhausted village in China, as a case study to examine the evolution of ecological security at the rural scale from 2000 to 2021. It innovatively constructs a comprehensive evaluation model based on “resilience support—state characteristics—response mechanism” and integrates coupling coordination degree analysis with grey relational analysis to quantitatively reveal the spatio-temporal differentiation features and driving mechanisms of ecological security coupling coordination in coal resource-depleted rural areas. The findings indicate the following: (1) Between 2000 and 2021, the comprehensive ecological security index of coal resource-exhausted villages in Jiawang District exhibited a sustained upward trend; (2) The coupling coordination degree of six sampled villages across the district displayed a gradient distribution pattern characterized by “higher in the west and lower in the east, higher in the north and lower in the south”, with each unit achieving phased improvements in coordination levels; (3) Through grey relational analysis, key factors influencing the coupling coordination of coal resource-exhausted villages were identified across three dimensions—coupling coordination degree, the overall Jiawang region, and the rural scale. This study offers targeted policy recommendations for coal resource-exhausted villages at varying levels of coupling coordination. Full article

Habitat quality (HQ) is crucial for assessing biodiversity and serves as a key indicator of ecosystem services and health. However, the spatial and temporal evolution of HQ under varying human activity intensities remains poorly understood. We employed the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs model to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution and evolutionary characteristics of HQ in Jiawang District (JWD), an area experiencing resource extraction, depletion, and urban expansion. We utilized Pearson correlation analysis, partial least squares-path modeling, the generalized additive model, and patch-generating land use simulation to explore the impact of human activity on HQ and the mechanisms of multifactorial interactions. Our findings revealed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2030, HQ in JWD generally declined, with high- and low-quality areas in the north and east and the west and south, respectively. (2) The land use intensity index and population density were significantly correlated with HQ, emphasizing the role of human-driven land use changes. (3) Topographic factors were positively correlated with HQ but influenced it indirectly through land use. (4) Land use emerged as a critical intermediary influencing HQ, with climate, topography, population, and economy exerting indirect effects. These results provide insights for biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development. Full article

Based on five periods of Landsat remote sensing data from 1980 to 2020, this study constructs a landscape ecological risk-ecosystem service value evaluation model and integrates it with a geodetector model to analyse the environmental benefits of the development of the “production–living–ecological space” pattern and its driving factors in the Xuzhou planning area. The results of the study are as follows: (1) Over the past 40 years, the expansion of living spaces has significantly encroached upon adjacent agricultural production areas and ecological spaces, such as forests and grasslands. Specifically, the areas of agricultural land, forests, and grassland have been diminished by 277.39 km², 23.8 km² and 12.93 km², respectively; in contrast, urban and rural living spaces have increased by 238.62 km² and 58.92 km², alongside a rise in industrial production areas, water bodies, and other ecological spaces. (2) Throughout the 40-year period, both the landscape ecological risk (ERI) and ecosystem service value (ESV) in the study area have shown a decreasing trend. The proportion of high- and medium-high-risk areas of the ERI have decreased by 5.19% and 7.50%, respectively, while low, lower, and medium ecological risk areas have increased by 6.40%, 3.22% and 3.07%, respectively. In addition, low-ESV areas have increased by 14.22%, while the proportion of high- and medium-high-ESV areas have decreased by 1.16%. (3) There is a significant positive spatial correlation between the ERI and ESV. Regions with dense ecological spaces comprising forests, water bodies, and grasslands, particularly in the northeastern part of the Jiawang District and the southeastern part of the Tongshan District, demonstrate superior regional ecosystem service quality. The ERI and ESV are dominated by “high–high” and “low–high” aggregation. Conversely, in the southwestern part of the study area, the expansion of living space has led to the transformation of some agricultural land, forest land, and grassland into less risky construction land, resulting in a decline in the quality of regional ecosystem services. The local spatial correlation between the ERI and ESV changed from “high–high”, “low–low”, “low–high” agglomeration to “low–low” agglomeration. (4) Key factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the “production–living–ecological space” include the GDP, population density, soil type, and the distance to towns and roads. Among these, the interaction between population density and soil type has the most significant effect on the changes in the pattern of the “production–living–ecological space”. Full article

Resource-exhausted cities usually face problems of environmental degradation, landscape fragmentation, and impeded ecological mobility. By clarifying the spatial heterogeneity of ecological restoration needs, efficient and coordinated ecological protection and restoration can be carried out. This study selected Jiawang District, a typical resource-exhausted city, and constructed an ecological security evaluation framework to determine the ecological source area from the three aspects of ecosystem service importance, ecological sensitivity, and landscape stability. The resistance surface was corrected with ecological sensitivity evaluation data, and ecological corridors and ecological nodes were identified using circuit theory. Finally, it explored the spatial and temporal evolution of the key areas of territorial ecological restoration in Jiawang District. This study indicates that: (1) In 2000, 2010, and 2020, the ecological source areas were 123.59 km², 116.18 km², and 125.25 km², and the corresponding numbers of ecological corridors were 53, 51, and 49. The total lengths of the ecological corridors were 129.25 km, 118.57 km, and 112.25 km, mainly distributed in the northern and central areas of the study area. (2) The study area contained 17, 13, and 19 ecological pinch points in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively, 16, 20, and 15 ecological obstacle points, and 8, 24, and 33 ecological fracture points, respectively. Targeted rehabilitation of these key areas can significantly improve ecological connectivity. (3) The key area of territorial ecological restoration in 2020 was composed of 125.25 km² ecological source area, 8.77 km² of ecological pinch point, 12.70 km² of ecological obstacle point, and 33 ecological fracture points. According to the present situation of land use, protection strategies are put forward. Full article