Establishing an ecological security pattern for urban agglomeration, taking ecosystem services and human interference factors into consideration

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 7; p. e7306
• Main Authors: Wang, Dongchuan, Chen, Junhe, Zhang, Lihui, Sun, Zhichao, Wang, Xiao, Zhang, Xian, Zhang, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ. Ltd 15.07.2019; PeerJ, Inc; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Agricultural production; Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration; Carbon fixation; Climate Change Biology; Corridors (Ecology); Ecohydrology; Ecological corridor; Ecological security pattern; Ecological source; Ecology; Ecosystem Science; Ecosystem service; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Environmental impact; Land use; Soil erosion; Soil sciences; Spatial and Geographic Information Science; Sustainable development; Urban planning; Water; Water conservation; United States > US; China; Ecological corridor; Ecological security pattern; Ecological source; Ecosystem service; Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7306

The assessment of ecological security patterns is a topic of conversation in landscape ecology in recent years. However, ecosystem services and human activities are seldom considered comprehensively in the assessment of ecological security patterns. The present study employs the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration as a study area, and uses ecological services to determine the ecological sources. The importance of ecological sources is classified based on logical coding and functional types of ecological services. The research combines regional characteristics to select and quantitatively calculate three human disturbance factors: soil erosion sensitivity, geological hazard sensitivity, and night lighting. Then the basic surface resistance of land use to limit migration is modified and ecological corridors are identified by combining these three disturbance factors. The results indicate that the sources of water production, soil and water conservation, and carbon fixation are mainly provided in mountainous areas, recreation sources are mostly distributed in the plains, and these ecological sources improve the maintenance of ecological corridors. The modification of resistance surfaces significantly changes the length of ecological corridors in Tianjin, Tangshan, Cangzhou, and Beijing, and the modified resistance surface improves the recognition of ecological corridors. This study provides a new research framework for identifying the ecological security patterns of urban agglomerations and provides scientific guidance related to ecological protection and urban planning for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration.