Ecological security pattern and its spatiotemporal evolution in Kunlun Mountain National Park (Qinghai section) based on ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity
Objective This study aims to identify key ecological areas in the Qinghai section of Kunlun Mountain National Park and clarify the spatiotemporal evolution of ecological security patterns from 1990 to 2020, providing a scientific basis for regional ecological protection and spatial management. Methods Using the “ecological sources-resistance surface-ecological corridor” framework for ecological security pattern construction, this study integrated the InVEST model, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and circuit theory to identify ecological sources from dual dimensions of ecosystem service functions and landscape connectivity. A comprehensive ecological resistance surface was constructed by integrating land use types, ecological sensitivity factors, and topographic position indices. Ecological corridors and key ecological pinch points were then extracted, and their spatiotemporal evolution characteristics were analyzed. Results (1) Ecological sources in the study area generally exhibited a spatial differentiation pattern of “dense in the east and sparse in the west, more in the south and less in the north”. The total area of source regions exhibited a significant expansion from 1990 to 2010, followed by a deceleration in growth during 2010—2020, and contracted slightly from 2010 to 2020. Grasslands consistently dominated, while glacial and snow-covered sources continued to shrink. (2) The ecological resistance surface pattern remained relatively stable, characterized by a “low-resistance base in the northwest and a resistance gradient differentiation in the central-eastern regions”. High and extremely high resistance areas showed a localized rebound trend after 2010. (3) The ecological corridor network gradually evolved from early fragmentation and degradation toward recovery and stability,with structural characteristics shifting from a complex network type to a “dispersed-linear connectivity type”. The number of key ecological pinch points decreased overall, and network robustness declined. Conclusion The evolution of the ecological security pattern in the Qinghai section of Kunlun Mountain National Park is jointly influenced by natural environmental constraints and human activity disturbances. The stability of core sources and the connectivity of corridors are key to maintaining regional ecological security. Future efforts should focus on strict protection of core sources, restoration of linear corridors, and management of key nodes to enhance the overall stability and anti-disturbance capacity of the alpine ecological network.
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