Identification of ecological security pattern in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

作者：Wangping Li, Yadong Liu, Qingrun Lin, Xiaodong Wu, Junming Hao, Zhaoye Zhou, Xiuxia Zhang · 发表于：Ecological Indicators · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.113057 · 被引用次数：28 · 研究领域：Environmental Quality and Pollution、Land Use and Ecosystem Services、Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation

• An ecological security pattern for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been established. • The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has 52 ecological source areas, covering 13.6% of its area. • The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau comprises 98 ecological corridors, totaling 13,667 km. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a critical ecological region that plays a vital role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in Asia. However, this region is increasingly threatened by climate change and human activities, leading to degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. Understanding and protecting the ecological security pattern (ESP) of the QTP is essential for ensuring its long-term resilience and stability. This study aims to construct a comprehensive ecological security pattern for the QTP by identifying key ecological sources, corridors, and barriers. We assessed ecosystem service importance, ecological sensitivity, and the locations of nature reserves to determine the spatial distribution of ecological sources. The Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory were used to map ecological corridors and identify critical pinch points and barriers. The findings show that ecological source areas cover 13.6 % of the QTP’s total area, with most located in the central and eastern regions. We also identified 34 primary and 64 secondary ecological corridors, spanning a total length of 13,667 km. The study highlights the vulnerability of these corridors due to their narrow dimensions, ...