Search Results (29)

In mining areas with high groundwater levels, intensive coal mining has led to the accumulation of substantial surface water and significant alterations in regional landscape patterns. Reconstructing the ecological security pattern (ESP) has emerged as a critical focus for ecological restoration in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. This study employed the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model to predict the landscape evolution trend of the study area in 2032 under three scenarios, combining environmental characteristics and disturbance features of coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. In order to determine the differences in ecological network changes within the study area under various development scenarios, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity analysis were employed to identify ecological source areas and establish ecological corridors using circuit theory. Based on the simulation results of the optimal development scenario, potential ecological pinch points and ecological barrier points were further identified. The findings indicate that: (1) land use changes predominantly occur in urban fringe areas and coal mining subsidence areas. In the land reclamation (LR) scenario, the reduction in cultivated land area is minimal, whereas in the economic development (ED) scenario, construction land exhibits a marked increasing trend. Under the natural development (ND) scenario, forest land and water expand most significantly, thereby maximizing ecological space. (2) Under the ND scenario, the number and distribution of ecological source areas and ecological corridors reach their peak, leading to an enhanced ecological network structure that positively contributes to corridor improvement. (3) By comparing the ESP in the ND scenario in 2032 with that in 2022, the number and area of ecological barrier points increase substantially while the number and area of ecological pinch points decrease. These areas should be prioritized for ecological protection and restoration. Based on the scenario simulation results, this study proposes a planning objective for a “one axis, four belts, and four zones” ESP, along with corresponding strategies for ecological protection and restoration. This research provides a crucial foundation for decision-making in enhancing territorial space planning in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. Full article

The Eastern Huang–Huai region of China is a representative mining area with a high groundwater level. High-intensity underground mining activities have not only induced land cover and land use changes (LUCC) but also significantly changed the watershed hydrological behavior. This study integrated the land use prediction model PLUS and the hydrological simulation model MIKE 21. Taking the Bahe River Watershed in Huaibei City, China, as an example, it simulated the hydrological response trends of the watershed in 2037 under different land use scenarios. The results demonstrate the following: (1) The land use predictions for each scenario exhibit significant variation. In the maximum subsidence scenario, the expansion of water areas is most pronounced. In the planning scenario, the increase in construction land is notable. Across all scenarios, the area of cultivated land decreases. (2) In the maximum subsidence scenario, the area of high-intensity waterlogging is the greatest, accounting for 31.35% of the total area of the watershed; in the planning scenario, the proportion of high-intensity waterlogged is the least, at 19.10%. (3) In the maximum subsidence scenario, owing to the water storage effect of the subsidence depression, the flood peak is conspicuously delayed and attains the maximum value of 192.3 m³/s. In the planning scenario, the land reclamation rate and ecological restoration rate of subsidence area are the highest, while the regional water storage capacity is the lowest. As a result, the total cumulative runoff is the greatest, and the peak flood value is reduced. The influence of different degrees of subsidence on the watershed hydrological behavior varies, and the coal mining subsidence area has the potential to regulate and store runoff and perform hydrological regulation. The results reveal the mechanism through which different land use scenarios influence hydrological processes, which provides a scientific basis for the territorial space planning and sustainable development of coal mining subsidence areas. Full article

Research on watershed ecological protection and restoration within the framework of territorial spatial planning serves as a critical approach to ensuring national ecological security and plays a vital role in enhancing ecosystem stability. In recent years, scholarly interest in this topic has grown significantly. However, development trends and optimization strategies remain unclear, especially regarding comparative insights between Chinese and English research articles within the territorial spatial planning paradigm. A comprehensive review is therefore needed to bridge this gap. This study utilizes bibliometric analysis with CiteSpace, based on publications from the Web of Science (WOS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, to visualize and compare Chinese and English research articles on watershed ecological protection and restoration. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, this study identified research hotspots and trajectories and provided directions for future research. The main findings are as follows: (1) A quantitative analysis indicates that the number of publications has increased significantly since 1998, with growing interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. (2) The qualitative analysis reveals three fundamental theoretical principles: holistic management, multi-scale interactions, and dynamic coordination. (3) The Chinese Academy of Sciences led in research output, while other institutions showed wider geographic coverage, stronger collaboration networks, and a decentralized, multi-core structure. (4) Keyword clustering highlights three major themes: evaluation methodologies for ecological protection and restoration, spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms, and integrated governance system development. (5) Within the territorial spatial planning paradigm, future researchers should employ big data analytics and monitoring technologies to better diagnose and address ecological challenges. Full article

The gullied Loess Plateau, a region characterized by the overlapping of ecological fragility and energy abundance in China, requires urgent analysis of its territorial spatial conflict mechanisms to harmonize human–environment relationships. This study integrated multi-temporal remote sensing data (1990–2020) to develop a Comprehensive Spatial Conflict Index (CSCI) and applied the Optimal Parameter-based Geographical Detector (OPGD) to unravel the driving mechanisms of territorial spatial evolution in Qingyang City, Gansu Province. The results revealed that: (1) Territorial spaces exhibit a transition pattern of ecological restoration, urban expansion, and agricultural contraction. Forest and grassland ecological spaces increased by 1.42 percentage points (to 13.14%) and 1.26 percentage points (to 49.29%), respectively, while industrial-mining production spaces expanded sevenfold (0.01% to 0.08%), and agricultural production spaces decreased by 3.36 percentage points. (2) Spatial conflicts transitioned through three phases: ① A low-intensity stabilization phase (1990–2000), with 90.55% of areas under weak and moderately weak conflict (CSCI ≤ 0.4); ② A moderate conflict contraction phase (2000–2010), where weak conflict zones surged by 28.18 percentage points (13.06% → 41.24%), with moderate and moderately weak spatial conflict (0.2–0.6) decreasing by 28.27 percentage points (86.06% → 57.79%); ③ A moderately strong to strong expansion phase (2010–2020), with moderate and moderately strong conflict areas rising to 16.82%. Strong conflict zones (CSCI ≥ 0.8) expanded to 0.61%, spatially clustered in the Xifeng urban area and the Malian–Pu River corridor, showing significant positive correlations with gully density (>3.5 km∙km⁻²) and nighttime light index (NL). (3) The interaction between NDVI and land use intensity (LUI) dominated conflict patterns (q = 0.2583). In northern energy development zones (Huanxian County), LUI and precipitation (PRE) synergistically intensified landslide risks, while facility agriculture in central plateau farmlands (Ningxian County) triggered groundwater overexploitation. The coupling of road density (RND) and population (POP) factors (q = 0.1892) formed a transportation–population axial belt compression. Policy interventions exhibited spatial heterogeneity: the Grain-for-Green Program increased weak conflict zones by 28.18 percentage points, whereas wind power development in the Huanxian–Huachi northern belt escalated moderately strong to strong conflict zones by 3.6 percentage points. A three-dimensional governance framework integrating geomorphological adaptation, development phasing, and ecological compensation is proposed to optimize territorial spatial planning in the gullied Loess Plateau. Full article

This study, guided by the concept hat “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, focuses on explicating the ecological vulnerability characteristics of the Nanpan and Beipan River Basins, a typical karst river basin in Guizhou Province. In this article, a value equivalent table was built to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV) within the basin from 2000 to 2020. The patch landscape and urban simulation model (PLUS) was improved to forecast ecosystem changes under four scenarios in the future. The Getis-Ord Gi*statistic, a spatial analysis tool, was introduced to identify and interpret the spatial patterns of ESVs in the study area. The research indicates that: (1) from 2000 to 2020, the spatial pattern of ecosystem has significantly improved, and with a notable ESV increase in the Nanpan and Beipan River Basins, especially the fastest growth from 2005 to 2010. Forest and grassland ecosystems are the main contributors to ESV within the basin, and the spatial distribution of ESV shows a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest. (2) Under different scenarios, forest ecosystem still would have the highest contribution rate to update the ESV between 2010 and 2035. The ESV is the lowest under the cropland protection scenario, amounting to CNY 104.972 billion. Compared to other scenarios, the ESV is higher under the sustainable development scenario, reaching CNY 106.786 billion, and this scenario provides a more comprehensive and balanced perspective, relatively achieving a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. (3) The hot spots of ESV are mainly concentrated in the southeast and along the riverbanks of the study area. Urban ecosystems are the cold spots of ESV, indicating that protecting the ecosystems along the riverbanks is crucial for ensuring the ecological security and sustainable development of karst mountainous river basins. In the future development of karst mountainous river basins, it is necessary to strengthen ecological restoration and governance, monitor soil erosion through remote sensing technology, optimize the layout of territorial space to implement the policy of green development, and promote the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature, ensuring the ecological security and sustainable development of the basins. Full article

Identifying ecological functional areas by clarifying the trade-off synergies of multiple ecosystem services to meet the practical needs of coordinating different ecosystem services in a specific region is highly important. Based on InVEST, RUSLE and other models, this study analyzed the tradeoff synergies of five typical ecosystem services in the Wanjiang Urban Belt from 1990 to 2020 using Pearson correlation analysis, and self-organizing map (SOM) carried out ecological functional zoning. The PLUS model was used to simulate the evolution of ecological functional zones in 2030. The results revealed that (1) from 1990 to 2020, water yield (WY), soil reservation (SR), and food production (FP) services in Wanjiang Urban Belt increased, whereas carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) services decreased. The value of ecosystem services showed a pattern of “high in the south and low in the north”. (2) WY–SR, WY–HQ, HQ–CS, and HQ–SR were synergistic, and the synergistic relationship showed a weakening trend. There were trade-offs in WY–CS, WY–FP, and SR–FP, and the trade-off effects increased with time. (3) The study area was divided into an ecological transition area, an ecological conservation area, an urban development area, an ecological restoration area, an agroecological area, and a water conservation area, and the functions and structures of each cluster significantly differed. (4) Under the natural development scenario, the scales of the ecological transition, ecological conservation, and agroecological areas increased. Under the cropland protection scenario, the urban development and ecological conservation areas began to transform into agroecological areas. Under the urban development scenario, the transfer of areas from ecological conservation, ecological restoration, and agroecological areas to urban development areas increased. In conclusion, the ecosystem services of the Wanjiang Urban Belt are dominated by synergistic effects, but there is a potential risk of shifting to trade-off relationships. In the future, targeted regional ecosystem optimization measures according to the evolution status of each ecological functional zone are urgently needed to provide references for territorial space management and control in this region. Full article

In the context of rapid urbanization and extreme climate change globally, balancing ecological resources and economic development for land spatial planning has become one of the pressing issues that need to be addressed. This study proposes a composite model to construct a spatial ecological security pattern. It identifies restoration areas with different risk levels based on the spatial distribution of land use, offering suggestions for optimizing spatial configuration. Focusing on the central Shaanxi region of the Yellow River Basin in China, ecological sources are identified by integrating ecological factors, and ecological corridors and restoration zones are extracted using the minimum cumulative resistance difference and circuit theory. The results indicate significant improvements in ecological quality and desertification in the study area from 2000 to 2020. Currently, the core area covers 51,649.71 km², accounting for 62.18% of all landscape types; the total ecological source area covers 31,304.88 km², representing 18.84% of the entire area. These ecological source areas are mainly distributed in the northern Loess Plateau and the southern mountainous regions. The area has 26 important ecological corridors, identifying 16 ecological pinch points and 12 ecological barriers, presenting an ecological security pattern characterized by a grid-like structure in the northern region and a dispersed pattern in the southern region. Additionally, 273.72 km² of ecological restoration priority areas and 197.98 square kilometers of ecological restoration encouragement areas are proposed as key planning regions for ecological environmental protection. This study provides references for optimizing spatial configuration to promote the sustainable development of urban and rural living environments in the Yellow River Basin. Full article

Understanding the current and future net carbon emission trajectories in “Three-Zone Space” is crucial for China to promote the formation of a low-carbon development pattern in territorial space and realize carbon neutrality. Taking Wuhan as the study area, we developed carbon emission and sequestration inventories for “Three-Zone Space”. Key driving factors of net carbon emissions were analyzed using the logarithmic mean division index, and future emissions and sequestration under six scenarios were projected with a system dynamics model. The optimal emission reduction pathway was identified through the intelligent decision-making index analysis. Our results show that Wuhan’s net carbon emission increased from 18.589 Mt in 2000 to 42.794 Mt in 2020. The emissions during this period primarily came from urban production space and urban living space. Economic development is the primary factor contributing to the increase in net carbon emissions (36.412 Mt). The efficiency of territorial space utilization is the strongest mitigator of net carbon emissions, reducing net carbon emissions by 74.341 Mt (accounting for 42.06% of total emissions). The comprehensive scenario is the most effective for net carbon emission reduction in urban and ecological spaces, while the technological progress scenario provides the greatest reduction potential in agricultural spaces. These findings provide actionable insights for optimizing spatial planning, enhancing ecological restoration, and adopting low-carbon agricultural technologies to achieve targeted emissions reductions in “Three-Zone Space”. The results of this study can further provide scientific basis for the formulation of targeted emission reduction measures for “Three-Zone Space” and guide the construction of low-carbon territorial space patterns. Full article

This study aims to elucidate the historical justification for protection and restoration efforts in China while also examining the theoretical underpinnings of ecological conservation and restoration. Utilizing a literature review method, logical reasoning method, and inductive summarizing method, the historical and theoretical frameworks of territorial spatial ecological conservation and restoration are elucidated, leading to the following conclusions: (1) The ecological protection and restoration of national land space represents an advanced form of land remediation; however, they differ in terms of objects, principles, goals, and measures. (2) Territorial space ecological protection and restoration is historically unavoidable due to the current phase of societal development, driven by the natural environment and the necessity to establish an ecological civilization. (3) To implement territorial spatial ecological protection and restoration effectively and rationally, it is essential to comprehend its systematicity, territoriality, dynamics, and scientificity. By clarifying its historical and theoretical rationale, we can achieve a deeper understanding of its current relevance. This can effectively inform practical efforts in territorial spatial ecological protection and restoration. Full article

The construction and optimization of urban green infrastructure (UGI) are regarded as effective strategies for harmonizing the natural landscape with human activities, particularly in ecologically vulnerable areas in the Upper Yellow River Basin, China. However, there is little attention paid to the scale effects and object effects as well as an absence of comprehensive assessments regarding landscape stability. Taking the Four-Lake Hydrographic Network (FLHN) in Shizuishan, a prefecture-level city, as an example, this study focuses on identifying the important sources of UGI by integrating both regional and interregional perspectives utilizing morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). UGI networks were constructed and optimized based on trade-offs and synergizing relationships between individual objects using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, and the UGI network’s stability combined centrality and connectivity aspects, which were subsequently assessed. The results showed that a total of 19 important sources covering an area of 105.07 km² were identified in the FLHN, integrating both regional and interregional levels. It was deemed unnecessary to maintain lengths of 7.79 km key corridors, 9.42 km general corridors, and 29.89 km fragile corridors; furthermore, there was no longer a requirement to upgrade an additional 5.51 km of general corridors and 25.78 km of any corridor, as UGI corridors were extracted based on a trade-off and synthesized objective methodology. The overall connectivity index value (O_G) of UGI stability with respect to the multi-objective model demonstrated superior performance compared to the same index in scenarios involving the use of a single-objective approach and the straightforward overlay of each object. This study reveals the multifaceted requirements of urban landscape security and sustainability, indicating that multi-scale and multi-objective approaches in territorial space planning not only ensure the integrity of the landscape patterns but also reduce the costs associated with landscape construction. This model can be utilized to implement urban landscape entity protection and restoration for landscapes with various geographical characteristics, and it can provide valuable guidance for similar areas. Full article

This study establishes and refines a social-landscape ecological security pattern that integrates the demand and supply of ecosystem services, providing a substantial foundation for the ecological restoration of territorial spaces. This foundation is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of “social–ecological” systems in achieving sustainable development. Jilin Province, serving as a national ecological security buffer and experiencing rapid economic growth, exhibits a significant spatial imbalance between social and economic progress and ecological conservation. The balance of ecosystem service demand and supply is pivotal in this context, making Jilin Province an ideal study area. We employed a multifaceted approach, including MSPA, the InVEST model, landscape connectivity assessment, circuit theory, and ecological network integrity evaluation, to elucidate the spatial disparities between the demand and supply of ecosystem services. We then developed and optimized social and landscape ecological security patterns to meet human demands and safeguard ecological integrity, thereby promoting the sustainable development of “social–ecological” systems. The key findings are as follows: (1) The supply of ecosystem services shows a clear spatial gradient, with lower values in the west and higher in the east, while demand is concentrated in the central region with lower values in the east and west, indicating a pronounced spatial mismatch in Jilin Province. (2) The landscape ecological security pattern includes 18 barrier points, 33 pinch points, 166 ecological corridors, and 101 ecological sources. (3) The social–ecological security pattern comprises 119 demand sources and 150 supply–demand corridors. (4) The study introduces 14 supply–demand nodes and 47 optimization corridors, proposing zoning schemes for the eastern core protection area, the central ecological demand area, and the western core restoration area. Additionally, recommendations are concerning the optimization of the “social–ecological” system pattern. This research advances the theoretical understanding of “social–ecological” system development in Jilin Province and offers insights for more harmonized development strategies. Full article

E’bian Yi Autonomous County is a mineral-rich area located in a complex geological structure zone. The region experiences frequent geological disasters due to concentrated rainfall, steep terrain, and uneven vegetation cover. In particular, during the rainy season, large amounts of rainwater rapidly accumulate, increasing soil moisture and slope pressure, making landslides and debris flows more likely. Additionally, human activities such as mining, road construction, and building can alter the original geological structure, exacerbating the risk of geological disasters. According to publicly available data from the Leshan government, various types of geological disasters occurred in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, resulting in economic losses and casualties. Although some studies have focused on geological disaster issues in E’bian, these studies are often limited to specific areas or types of disasters and lack comprehensive spatial and temporal analysis. Furthermore, due to constraints in technology, funding, and manpower, geophysical exploration, field geological exploration, and environmental ecological investigations have been challenging to carry out comprehensively, leading to insufficient and unsystematic data collection. To provide data support and monitoring for regional territorial spatial planning and geological disaster prevention and control, this paper proposes a new method to study the correlation between soil moisture changes and geological disasters. Six high-resolution Landsat remote sensing images were used as the main data sources to process the image band data, and terrain factors were extracted and classified using a digital elevation model (DEM). Meanwhile, a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index–Land Surface Temperature (NDVI-LST) feature space was constructed. The Temperature Vegetation Drought Index (TVDI) was calculated to analyze the variation trend and influencing factors of soil moisture in the study area. The research results showed that the variation in soil moisture in the study area was relatively stable, and the overall soil moisture content was high (0.18 < TVDI < 0.33). However, due to the large variation in topographic relief, it could provide power and be a source basis for geological disasters such as landslide and collapse, so the inversion value of TVDI was small. The minimum and maximum values of the correlation coefficient (R²) were 0.60 and 0.72, respectively, indicating that the surface water content was relatively large, which was in good agreement with the calculated results of vegetation coverage and conducive to the restoration of ecological stability. In general, based on the characteristics of remote sensing technology and the division of soil moisture critical values, the promoting and hindering effects of soil moisture on geological hazards can be accurately described, and the research results can provide effective guidance for the prevention and control of geological hazards in this region. Full article

Delineating conservation priority areas for both preservation and restoration is essential for developing adaptive ecosystem management strategies across production–living–ecological spaces (PLES). This study developed a coherent framework with four steps: (1) mapping spatial distributions of biodiversity and ecosystem services, (2) ranking the relative importance of ecosystems across spaces, (3) delineating priority areas for preservation and restoration according to the human footprint and priority ranks, and (4) contrasting with current conservation networks and overlapping with PLES. This framework was applied in Ganzi, China, to delineate the preservation priority areas (PPAs) of 8714.2 km² and 11,308.1 km², and restoration priority areas (RPAs) of 36,817.7 km² and 63,578.4 km² under the target to conserve 30% and 50% of territories, respectively. The priority areas, including PPAs and RPAs, achieve higher conservation capacity than the current Ecological Conservation Redline (ECR) in terms of biodiversity conservation or ecosystem service delivery. Roughly 67% of PPAs, 40% of RPAs, and a total of 75% of large patches with high priority are covered by ECR, indicating the necessity to adjust boundary and conduct restoration for ECR. As for PLES, the conservation priority areas encompass proportionally more ecological space (67–76%) than ECR (63.5%) or Ganzi (61.4%), implying the lower potential conflict between local residents’ production and conservation, and meanwhile, new opportunities and challenges in sustainable development in human-dominated spaces. The coherent framework to delineate PPAs and RPAs is flexible in terms of threshold in human impact or ecological degradation and can be improved by considering the complex relationships between indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study highlights the importance of incorporating ecosystem features, land uses, and human activities in developing different strategies according to different conservation purposes in the context of sustainable development. Full article

Territorial spatial planning is crucial for fostering green production and lifestyles, contributing to ecological civilization, and shaping a beautiful China. However, evaluations of China’s territorial spatial planning at a global level are scant. This study constructs a self-assessment tool for territorial spatial planning, anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initially, it develops an indicator system to assess provincial territorial spatial planning, tailored to the specificities of Chinese provinces. Subsequently, this study formulates problem guidance and performs a match analysis. The tool is then applied to assess the preparation of territorial spatial planning in Shaanxi Province, yielding visualized results. These results correlate the content of planning documents with the questions in the tool, ensuring alignment. Findings indicate that Shaanxi Provincial Territorial Spatial Planning (2021–2035) largely aligns with the SDGs’ framework, while Shaanxi Province Land Space Ecological Restoration Planning (2021–2035) shows partial alignment. Discrepancies with global and national sustainability trends are noted, potentially linked to the unique role of ecological restoration in national spatial planning. By integrating SDGs, this study evaluates the rationality and potential for optimization in China’s provincial territorial spatial planning. This approach aims to enhance public well-being and offers actionable recommendations for incorporating sustainable development into provincial spatial planning strategies. Full article

To understand and respond to the common ecological and environmental challenges faced by human beings, this study investigated the relationship between territorial spatial development (TSD), eco-environmental responses, and territorial spatial planning (TSP) from the perspective of human-environment interactions and explores a feasible way to modulate these human-environment interactions by taking China’s TSP practice as an illustrative case. The research results show that (1) the interplay between territorial development, resource utilization, and environmental feedback forms the crux of human-environment interactions. Notably, eco-environment responses, one of which is the spread of germs, coupled with human development and utilization behavior constitute a complete negative feedback loop. Human beings’ adjustment to the unbalanced conditions in these interactions, employing institutions, technology, planning, and other tools, constitutes a positive cycle within human-environment interactions. (2) TSP can regulate the whole process of human-environment interactions through mechanisms such as coordination and control, adaptation and mitigation, and consolidation and restoration. (3) Unreasonable agricultural development and urban expansion have triggered intense negative feedback on the ecological environment. (4) The Chinese government has carried out a top-down TSP reform initiative to establish a unified planning system. This aims to alleviate the adverse ecological and environmental effects caused by TSD and build a more secure territory space pattern. Therefore, nations around the globe should innovate their spatial planning management systems and spatial planning systems, standardize and guide the development and utilization of spatial resources, and coordinate the relationship between humans and the environment. Full article