Search

To mitigate the conflict between ecological restoration and the pursuit of economic benefits in characteristic agriculture within plateau regions, this study proposes a theoretical framework for supervising plateau-characteristic agroecological security (PCAES). Initially, characteristic agriculture is conceptualized as an artificial ecosystem resulting from the complex interactions between the ecological environment and specific agricultural resources in a given plateau region; thus, PCAES is defined as a sustainable developmental state of plateau-characteristic agriculture that ensures a high-quality resource supply without compromising ecological integrity. Subsequently, a theoretical framework of PCAES is constructed by analyzing supervisory subjects, objects, and their interrelationships, followed by an in-depth study from three different perspectives. At the foundational level, the monitoring and evaluation mechanism focuses on gathering data regarding resource composition and environmental conditions to assess ecological security. At the intermediate level, the early warning and decision-making mechanism aims at estimating potential ecological security issues and then designing and selecting optimal measures. At a higher level, the control and assurance mechanism directs stakeholders toward compliance with ecological safety regulations via resource allocation and macro-policy interventions while ensuring effective system operation. This study holds significant implications for advancing green development initiatives, enhancing agricultural scientific innovation, and promoting sustainable practices in plateau agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on DPSIR model and vulnerability assessment method, this paper uses ANP model and K-means clustering method to build an EES evaluation index system suitable for Shennongjia, including 59 indicators in five categories: driving force, pressure, state, impact and response. The EES status of Shennongjia forest area was evaluated and analyzed. The results showed that the EES index of Shennongjia forest area was between 0. 281 and 0. 357, showing a significant spatial distribution, higher in the east than in the west, lower in the south than in the north, and a gradient variation along the border of Hubei and Chongqing. The most effective indicators affecting EES status are physical and economic activities, biodiversity loss and biodiversity conservation, which reflect the coordination and conflict between eco-tourism and ecosystem, as well as the impact and adaptation of eco-tourism on ecosystem in Shennongjia forest region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, environmental governance in China has gradually shifted from element-based management to systematic governance, aiming to address the shortcomings of traditional governance models that insufficiently consider the integrity of ecosystems. In this context, holistic governance has emerged as an important reference in the ecological protection norms within the Ecological and Environmental Code. This transition has necessitated a conceptual alignment with the logical mainline of sustainable development and adherence to a holistic method in terms of textual logic and legal institutions to strengthen China's ecological legal system. Based on a moderate codification model, the special section on natural ecological protection in the Ecological and Environmental Code could follow the following rationale: ① Regarding legal philosophy, the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature should be incorporated into the code, constructing an ecological legal system centered on the environmental code through a holistic and systematic approach. In the special section on natural ecological protection, a systematic outlook should be maintained to promote integrated protection and governance of ‘mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, deserts, and glaciers,’ with the fundamental aim of preserving the overall function of ecosystems, thus constructing the ecological protection legal system accordingly. ② Regarding content, on the basis of the interrelated aspects of environment, resources, and ecology, the focus and core of legal norms for ecological protection in the special section on natural ecological protection should be clarified, and an ‘ecology-resource’ integrated protection model should be adopted. Concurrently, under the requirements of moderate codification, coherence and connection should be achieved between the special section on natural ecological protection and those on pollution control and green low-carbon development, and an effective synergy between the code and separate laws should be ensured, thereby clarifying the specific manifestations of the same ecological elements with varying emphasis based on ‘environment,’ ‘ecology,’ and ‘resources’ in different sections of the code. ③ In terms of framework, with biodiversity protection as the logical foundation, the primary content of ecological protection should cover aspects of ecosystem protection, species conservation, and safeguarding of genetic resources. Based on this framework, regulations should be established for managing ecological degradation, promoting ecological restoration, and implementing ecological compensation to achieve holistic governance from ecosystems to inter-species and finally to intraspecies levels. Simultaneously, the Ecological and Environmental Code could arrange natural ecological protection systems based on a typological logic, constructing a regulatory system of ‘prevention in advance-process supervision-damage relief-restoration management,’ thereby providing a comprehensive and robust normative basis for ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the ecological security situation of Fuzhou City holds significant theoretical and practical value for the government departments in implementing development strategies and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Using the Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom (DIKW) framework, this study combined various remote sensing and GIS methods to comprehensively analyze Fuzhou's past, present, and future ecological security levels. The results showed a strong isotropic cluster in the city's ecological security. Among the influencing factors, the degree of regional development was found to have the greatest impact, while water body coverage had the least. The influencing factors are mutually reinforcing. Under the natural development scenario, the area of secure level in 2020 decreased by 1243.70 km2, while under the ecological protection scenario, it declined by 1263.34 km2. In the future, Fuzhou's ecological security level is expected to face increasing fragmentation. Based on these findings, the study proposes strategies to balance economic development and ecological protection in Fuzhou City. These recommendations aim to provide the government departments with relevant data support for land resource management and contribute to the high-level development of the City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Zone Research / Ganhanqu Yanjiu is the property of Arid Zone Research Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Scientific assessment of urban ecological security (ES) is an important prerequisite to realize regional sustainable development. Previous studies lack the consideration of quality and poor systematic correlation, which could not reflect the internal dynamic relationship. On the basis of considering the time lag, this study divided the research process into the natural operation stage and the management feedback stage based on the driving forces, pressures, state, impacts, responses, management (DPSIRM) framework model and DEA theory, so as to effectively overcome the above shortcomings. Finally, we analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of the ES level of 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) during 2005–2019. The results showed that: (a) both two stages showed a slow and fluctuating upward trend in time series, and the level of urban ES in the management feedback stage was significantly higher than that in the natural operation stage; (b) with the passage of time, the spatial distribution of ES in the natural operation stage gradually developed towards the middle and downstream of the YREB, while the management feedback stage mainly evolved from the midstream to the edge area; (c) the level of urban ES presented a different degree of spatial agglomeration phenomenon, and showed an increasing trend over time; and (d) the key influencing factors gradually changed from pressure to response during 2005–2019. This research aims to provide an innovative perspective for the measurement of urban ES, and provide scientific reference for improving urban ecological sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arctic has been identified by scientists as a relatively promising venue for controversial ‘solar geoengineering’ – technical schemes to reflect more sunlight to counteract global warming. Yet contemporary regional security dynamics and the relative (in)significance of climate concerns among the key Arctic states suggest a different conclusion. By systematically juxtaposing recently published schemes for Arctic geoengineering with Arctic security strategies published by the littoral Arctic states and China, we reveal and detail two conflicting security imaginaries. Geoengineering schemes scientifically securitise (and seek to maintain) the Arctic’s ‘great white shield’ to protect ‘global’ humanity against climate tipping points and invoke a past era of Arctic ‘exceptionality’ to suggest greater political feasibility for research interventions here. Meanwhile, state security imaginaries understand the contemporary Arctic as an increasingly contested region of considerable geopolitical peril and economic opportunity as temperatures rise. Alongside the entangled history of science with geopolitics in the region, this suggests that geoengineering schemes in the Arctic are unlikely to follow scientific visions, and unless co-opted into competitive, extractivist state security imaginaries, may prove entirely infeasible. Moreover, if the Arctic is the ‘best-case’ for geoengineering politics, this places a huge question mark over the feasibility of other, more global prospects.

Abstract Systems theory and complex science, especially knowledge of social–ecological interdependencies, are urgently needed in planning and decision-making on sustainable urban development due to the intensification of the contradiction between human development and nature conservation. Here, we present an analytical framework, the “social–ecological coupling trajectory”, that integrates the social–ecological coupling, multi-stability, causal feedbacks and sustainable management through understanding the evolution of the urban social–ecological system (SES). This framework is applied to a typical urban SES, i.e., China’s rapidly prosperous Pearl River Delta (PRD). Our results indicate that the SES evolution in the PRD is a phased process, which is accompanied by a continuous decline in major ecosystem services (ESs) and the disproportionate decline of ecological management performance. Further analysis shows that social and economic policies have a decisive role in driving the evolution of SES and the cumulative effect of sustained human interference is directly linked to the disproportionate increase in sustainability challenges. The findings of critical slowing down and evolution patterns of SES in the PRD may provide evidence for the threshold recognition and regime shift prediction in SES. In sum, this study expands the theoretical framework and empirical knowledge of SES evolution and provides a pathway for sustainable development of regions seeking prosperity from the social–ecological coupling perspective.

Despite global yield benefits from the use of nitrification inhibitors (NIs), the uncertainties and limitations surrounding NIs warrant more attention. Understanding the impacts of NIs on the health of organisms, people, and ecosystems is also crucial. Here we present a global budget, current challenges, and future research priorities of NIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of urbanization has led to population growth, increased resource consumption, and intensified environmental pollution. Consequently, urban ecological security has increasingly become a key factor constraining the sustainable development of socio-economic systems. This study constructed an urban ecological security evaluation system based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model and used Xuzhou, a typical coal resource city, as a case study to apply and validate the model. Specifically, the analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method were used to determine the index weights, and the ecological security index was used to evaluate the ecological security status of each system in Xuzhou from 2006 to 2022. Finally, the grey prediction GM (1,1) model was used to predict the ecological security status of Xuzhou in the next five years. The results show that the "disposal capacity of waste gas treatment facilities", "per capita disposable income", and "agricultural fertilizer application intensity" occupy a large weight in the whole evaluation system. The pressure index generally showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the state index fluctuated around 0.12. There is a simultaneous upward trend in the response index and the composite index. The ecological security level of the composite index has increased from "unsafe" in 2006 to "relatively safe" in 2022 and will continue to improve to "ideal security" in the future. This study provides a scientific basis for the formulation of sustainable development policies in Xuzhou and also provides a reference for the ecological safety management and assessment of other similar cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the general sense of ecological environmental protection and governance, 'safeguarding ecological security' has both theoretical value and practical significance owing to the more prominent thinking of bottom-line control and the perspective of the short-board effect. Due to the theoretical dilemma of indistinct concepts and unclear positioning of ecological security, 'safeguarding ecological security' has been proposed in environmental legislation, yet it has not been fully and concretely developed. To achieve the perfection of the expression of 'safeguarding ecological security' in environmental legislation, we should first clarify the existing differences in the expression of ecological security, and pinpoint its connotation and positioning. Given the basic characteristic that ecological security must be measured on a regional scale and the basic situation that the existing environmental legal system consists of basic law and a large number of individual laws on the type of ecological space and elements, the river basins, regions with typical natural ecological significance, are chosen as the main object of this analysis, which aims to elucidate the specific composition of the content of safeguarding ecological security in the river basins and analyze its contingent and practical aspects in the environmental legislation. The perfection of basin ecological security legislation should not only involve the levels of the basins and elements in them from a multidimensional perspective in theory but also the comprehensive development of value clarity and content. From the current legislative status, the relevant legislation norms related to the safeguarding of ecological security in the basins are either insufficient or overlapping, vague in meaning, and receive low attention in the actual situation. Formulating ecological and environmental codes is an important way to promote the ecological environment law system, and achieving the sound expression of 'safeguarding ecological security' in environmental legislation can be an opportunity for such codification. First of all, we should clarify the choice of paths for the overall integration of ecological security in the ecological environmental legal system; that is, instead of formulating a more comprehensive ecological security law, we should develop a system with conceptual guidance, principles to be followed, and institutional systems for implementation. In the actual codification of the main general provisions, we should stipulate the legislative purpose, basic principles, and basic system of 'safeguarding ecological security' essentially from scratch. However, when formulating specific systems in the sub-headings of the codification, the compilation method should be used to ultimately form an overall legislative manifestation of the value of the concept of ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the spatiotemporal pattern changes and driving forces of ecological security in urban agglomerations can provide a new perspective for local sustainable development and scientific basis for regional ecological civilization construction. This paper took the urban agglomeration around Poyang Lake as the research area, and used the Entropy Method and Grey Correlation Method to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution pattern and driving force of ecological security pattern in the research area in 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. The results showed that: (1) The ecological security pattern of the urban agglomeration around Poyang Lake was relatively stable from 2010 to 2019. The ecological security index was the highest in 2013 and the lowest in 2016. (2) Spatially, the growth poles dominated by Jiujiang and Yichun had obvious changes in the regional ecological security pattern of the urban agglomeration, and other cities were relatively stable. (3) The urban sewage treatment rate, the proportion of employees in the tertiary industry, the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial waste and the harmless treatment rate of life were the main driving force of ecological security in the urban agglomeration around Poyang Lake. Based on the above research, this paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions, such as adhering to the priority of ecological protection, planning ecological construction according to local conditions, adjusting planting and industrial structure and improving public awareness of ecological protection, ensuring the formation of a healthy and stable overall pattern of ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the experience of applying environmental rhetoric in the political and economic discourse of the 1920s, when Soviet Russia was forced to resort to the concession of national raw material resources to foreign entrepreneurs. In particular, foreigners were granted the right to exploit northern forests and fish and sea mammals in the Arctic Ocean. The sources for the study are diverse historical materials, both published ones and various business correspondences of Soviet political and economic bodies, which were often classified as secret. The analysis of the totality of sources allows us to reconstruct one of the early pages of domestic environmental science using the example of the protection of the country's natural resources, which was initially a response to various challenges of the era. Thus, it was found that, before the 1917 Revolution, environmental protection issues influenced political decisions and public sentiment as a form of struggle against foreign economic competitors. In the 1920s, arguments for the protection of natural resources were widely used by the authorities in the northern provinces of European Russia, seeking to preserve traditional occupations for the local population. Later, in order to close down foreign concessions that proved unable to achieve the results expected of them, issues of inefficient and even predatory use of natural resources began to be raised by the central authorities. To substantiate these claims, experts in various fields of science and practice of natural resource use were involved, and this gave the impetus to the development of environmental science. In addition, the activities of concessionaires were subjected to constructive criticism by Soviet economists, which made it possible to identify ways in which the national raw materials economy began to develop independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept “environmental security” grew out of the environmental movement of the 1970s, gaining significant attention in the academic and policy communities at the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. Early writings focused mainly on how security-related activities, including armed conflict, affect the environment, and how environmental issues might influence or drive national or international security. By the early 2000s, numerous perspectives and definitions of environmental security had evolved, and were being debated in scholarly literature, including more subtle ways by which environmental change might influence security. Some scholars contested the very concept of environmental security. By the 2010s, research and writing focused on environmental security diminished, to some extent being replaced by discussions and debates in both academic and policy settings about the relationship between climate change and security (later referred to by some as “climate security”). In recent years, conversations about environmental security are re-emerging, driven in part by an acknowledgment that the overriding focus on climate change security might be too narrow, missing other ways that environmental change influences security, and vice versa. The study on which this article reports, briefly traced the history of environmental security in both academic and policy literature. Next, the article summarises climate change security perspectives, discussing the climate– conflict nexus, and including examples of climate security strategy and policy. The article then explains aspects of environmental security that are excluded or neglected from the climate security discourse, making a case for a return to a more expansive approach to environmental security. Finally, an updated definition of and framework for environmental security are proposed. Environmental security is seen as the ability of individuals, groups, or states to adapt to, mitigate, or avoid environmental change without critical adverse effects, which significantly degrade the integrity, values, or well-being of states, communities, or individuals. The definition incorporates elements of the original, state-focused definition of environmental security, but also includes important elements of human security (that affect community or state security). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hubei Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of Hubei Minzu University (Natural Sciences Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Social progress and the improvement of living standards are often accompanied by the intensification of ecological crises. The long-term abuse of natural resources has led to the accumulation of ecological liabilities, which in turn seriously hinders economic development. This has prompted all sectors of society to recognize the importance of ecological carrying capacity (ECC) and ecological security (ES). Remarkable progress has been made in karst desertification control (KDC), which has helped reshape the ECC and ES pattern of forests. Currently, the research field of ECC and ES is experiencing rapid development. Further studies in these areas have immeasurable value in promoting regional sustainable development strategies and strengthening ecological civilization construction. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the current research status and potential challenges in the field of ECC and ES, with a view to optimizing the program of forest restoration and protection in KDC. This study systematically analyzed 350 relevant studies and found that (1) research on forest ECC and ES has shown a strong growth trend overall, especially after 2017, with a growth rate exceeding 75%; (2) the literature predominantly focuses on the assessment of forest ECC (40.58%) and the enhancement of forest ES (23.42%); and (3) geographically, research findings are heavily concentrated in Asia, representing 95.40% of the total. Notably, China emerges as the primary contributor to research in this field, accounting for a substantial 94.12%. Based on the above analysis, this review summarizes the significant advancements in forest ecosystems, ECC, and ES, while also delving into the key scientific issues that need to be addressed. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights from forest ecosystems in tackling KDC, with the goal of offering guidance and strategic recommendations for future research and practices in managing delicate ecological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of urbanization has resulted in varying degrees of impact on the stability and health of high-density urban ecosystems. Building urban ecological networks is crucial for safeguarding biodiversity and sustaining ecosystem vitality. In this study, the city of Foshan was selected as the study area, which is a prime representative of a high-density water network city. Additionally, a morphological spatial pattern analysis was employed to identify the ecological source. We built an ecological resistance surface using geographic, natural, and behavioral elements, adjusting it based on the density of the water network and the building height. Following this, the circuit theoretical model was utilized to create an ecological network by identifying ecological corridors. There were three key findings. First, the ecological network consisted of 30 ecological source sites and 53 ecological corridors, and 103 ecological "pinch points" and 193 ecological barrier points were identified. Second, the ecological sources were predominantly situated in the southwestern and northern parts of Foshan City. Meanwhile, the suburbs of Foshan City contained the primary ecological barrier points, mainly stemming from new construction sites, while the key ecological "pinch points" were concentrated at river junctions. The third outcome was the recommendations to (a) boost the connectivity of the ecological network in the suburbs, (b) improve the connection of the water network in urban areas, and (c) focus on enhancing landscape connectivity. The objective was to develop approaches for optimizing urban ecological networks, leading to better connectivity and improved ecological network quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of population, society and economy, human activities have caused serious adverse impacts on the environment, ecosystems and landscape patterns over the long term. In order to address the series of impacts of human activities on the environment, territorial space and resource use, the study of Production–Living–Ecological Space (PLES) and ecological security have all become academic frontiers in the field of sustainable development. In this study, we applied multi‐source data and GIS technology to construct an ecological security evaluation model based on the results of PLES delineation and the Pressure‐State‐Response (PSR) framework, and carried out the three‐period PLES ecological security evaluation for 2000, 2010 and 2020 at the county and grid scales in Yunnan Province. The PLES pattern in Yunnan Province is dominated by ecological space, which accounts for 75%, followed by 23% of production space, with ecological space shrinking from 2000 to 2020. Ecological security in ecological space and living space shows an improving trend from 2000 to 2020. The ecological security of production space improved in 2010 compared to 2000 but then showed a decreasing trend in 2020. Ecological security in ecological space shows that north‐western and southern Yunnan is safer than central Yunnan, while ecological security in living space is safer in central Yunnan, and ecological security in production space is better in southern Yunnan than in northern Yunnan. Comparison with related research results shows that the ecological security evaluation results of PLES in Yunnan Province in this study are scientific and reasonable. The ecological security evaluation model of PLES constructed in this study solves the problem of complex and incomplete ecological security evaluation indexes in the past, and the results of the study are more refined and precise, which provides new ideas for the study of regional ecological security. Based on the functional attributes of land, the evaluation model of ecological security of Production–Living–Ecological space was constructed. Yunnan Province has the largest proportion of ecological space at 75%, but it has been shrinking in the last 20 years. In the past 20 years, the ecological security of ecological space and living space in Yunnan Province has shown an improvement trend, while production space has risen and then declined. This study analyses ecological security at different scales so that it can better reveal its spatial heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of land ecological security (LES) evaluates how human activity and land use affect land ecosystems. Its ultimate objective is to provide guidance and assistance for decision making in order to preserve and restore the efficacy and health of terrestrial ecosystems. The assessment model presented in this article is comprehensive and integrates the advantages of both subjective and objective weighting techniques. This study extends the "Pressure–State–Response" (PSR) model to "Driver–Pressure–State-Impact–Response" (DPSIR) and combines it with TOPSISI to determine the weights of each contributing component. Furthermore, the geographical and temporal distribution patterns of regional land ecological security levels were investigated using GIS geostatistical approaches. According to this study, (1) the Yangtze River Delta region's LES index, with a mean value in the fairly safe range, is generally safe. The year 2019 marks an inflection point for the index, with the highest level of ecological safety on land. The primary element is the modification of environmental policies that are enacted by the government. (2) The LES status is divided into two stages during the course of this study. The Yangtze River Delta region's LES quickly develops throughout the first stage (2012–2019), which sees a shift in the safety rating from IV to II. The second stage (2019–2023) sees a progressive improvement in the LES index and a shift in the safety category from Class II to Class I. (3) Important variables influencing the geographical distribution of LES in the Yangtze River Delta region include barrier elements, including soil and water erosion areas, flood disaster areas, grain planting areas, urban green covering areas, and effective irrigation areas of farmland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of global urbanization has intensified land use activities, which threaten the ecological environment and hinder the achievement of sustainable socioeconomic development goals. With the background of continuous land use expansion, the reasonable management of land use and ecological protection has increasingly become an important issue. This study constructs an ecological security (ES) index to evaluate the ES pattern, and employs the Future Land-Use Simulation (FLUS) model for multi-scenario simulation of land use patterns in mountainous areas. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, cultivated land and grassland showed a sharp decrease, with areas of −128.64 and −228.18 km² respectively, while forest land, urban land, and other construction land increased, with areas of 116.12, 31.21, and 120.69 km² respectively. Over time, the mountainous areas mainly exhibited low and moderate ES patterns. Furthermore, for 2020–2030, under the natural development scenario, cultivated land, forest land, and grassland will show a decrease, while urban and other construction land will show a sharp increase. In contrast, under the ecological protection scenario, ecological land will show significant increase, and the patch expansion of urban construction land will be smaller. These results confirm the positive contribution of ES protection effects to improving the land use development, and support insightful guidance for formulating policies on ecological management in mountainous areas.

Abstract This paper aims to propose a prediction method based on Deep Learning (DL) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, focusing on the ecological security and tourist satisfaction of Ice-and-Snow Tourism (IST) to solve practical problems in this field. Accurate predictions of ecological security and tourist satisfaction in IST have been achieved by collecting and analyzing environment and tourist behavior data and combining with DL models, such as convolutional and recurrent neural networks. The experimental results show that the proposed method has significant advantages in performance indicators, such as accuracy, F1 score, Mean Squared Error (MSE), and correlation coefficient. Compared to other similar methods, the method proposed improves accuracy by 3.2%, F1 score by 0.03, MSE by 0.006, and correlation coefficient by 0.06. These results emphasize the important role of combining DL with IoT technology in predicting ecological security and tourist satisfaction in IST.

Over the past two decades, due to the combined effects of natural and human factors, the ecological environment and resources of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) have faced serious threats, profoundly impacting its ecosystem and the lives of its residents. Therefore, the establishment of the ecological security pattern (ESP) is crucial to cope with climate change, maintain ecosystem function, and sustainable development. Based on the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) model, this study constructed an evaluation index system for the ecological security (ES) of the QTP, evaluated the ES of the QTP during 2000–2020, and predicted the ES of the QTP during 2025–2035 based on the deep learning model. Combined with the residents' perception of ES, the ES of the QTP was evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ES value of the QTP continued to rise, the number of dangerous and sensitive counties decreased, and the number of other counties increased. The overall spatial distribution features higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest and central regions. (2) From 2000 to 2020, both hot spots and cold spots on the QTP decreased, with the hot spots mainly concentrated in the southeast of the QTP, represented by Yunnan Province, and the cold spots shifting from west to east, mainly concentrated in the central QTP, represented by Qinghai Province. (3) The Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model demonstrates high prediction accuracy. Based on the prediction of LSTM, the ES value of the QTP will continue to rise from 2025 to 2035, and the number of safe counties will reach the highest level in history. The spatial distribution is still higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest and central regions. (4) By analyzing residents' perception of 25 potential factors that may affect the ES of the QTP, the results show that residents generally believe that these factors have an important impact on ES, and their evaluation is between "important" and "very important". In addition, there is a significant correlation between these factors and the predicted values of ES. The results of the study will help to improve our understanding of the overall ecological environment of the QTP, provide accurate positioning and reasonable help for the government to formulate relevant protection strategies, and lay a methodological and practical foundation for the sustainable development of the QTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of ecological security is essential for understanding the status of bay ecosystem and developing appropriate management strategy. Based on the driving force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) model, the demographic, economic, social, and ecological data of Laizhou Bay and its three neighboring counties were selected for the period from 2015 to 2021. An ecological security evaluation index system of Laizhou Bay containing 26 indicators was established, and the weights of each indicator were determined by the methods of AHP and EWM, and a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological security of Laizhou Bay was carried out by ESI. Correlations between indicators were analyzed by the Spearman's rank coefficient of correlation. The results showed that there were significant correlations between marine conditions and indicators such as population size in the surrounding area, mariculture area, industrial and domestic wastewater discharge, and treatment rate. Overall, from 2015 to 2021, the ecological security of Laizhou Bay showed a favorable trend, from a relatively unsafe level to a generally safe level, and then to a relatively safe level. Through the comprehensive evaluation of the ecological security of Laizhou Bay, we can recognize the utilization of marine resources and ecological carrying capacity, guide the rational development and utilization of marine resources, and promote the sustainable development of the marine economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction of ecological security risks is crucial for advancing the sustainable development of both nature and society. Using the PLUS model, we predicted land use changes in the Huaihe River Eco-Economic Belt under five Shared Socio-economic Pathway-Representative Concentration Pathway (SSP-RCP) scenarios, and analyzed the resulting landscape patterns and their influencing factors. The results showed that: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the study area experienced significant land use changes, including a marked increase in urban and rural land and a notable decrease in cropland. Urbanization emerged as the dominant trend across all SSP-RCP scenarios, with urban and rural land continuing to expand until 2050, after which they stabilized. SSP370 presented the smallest extent of urban and rural land, while SSP585 exhibited the largest. (2) The mean patch size (Areamn), mean patch fractal dimension (Fracmn), mean shape index (Shapemn), and mean contiguity index (Contigmn) showed an increasing trend, whereas the number of patches (NP) and patch density (PD) decreased. These trends suggested an overall improvement in ecological security, with landscapes becoming less fragmented and characterized by larger, more complex, and more contiguous patches. The landscape pattern showed significant changes, with 2050 identified as a threshold year, largely influenced by urbanization trends. (3) The landscape indices indicated that SSP370 was associated with relatively less fragmentation, while SSP126 and SSP245 were associated with higher fragmentation. The proportion of urban and rural land explained the majority of the variance in landscape indices across all scenarios. This study highlighted the importance of understanding the impacts of urbanization on landscape patterns to develop effective strategies for promoting sustainable development and the conservation of both nature and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid urbanization, environmental problems such as soil erosion and resource shortages have emerged. Ecological environmental quality is decreasing, and ecological security issues are becoming increasingly prominent; thus, relevant research is particularly urgent. The ecological security issue is complex due to many influencing factors. The transformation of landscape type is the most important factor affecting ecological security. Therefore, there is an urgent need to optimize and screen for the indicator factors that affect ecological security, carry out a dynamic evaluation of ecological security based on landscape pattern analysis, and analyze the driving forces behind ecological security changes. Song County is located in the ecological core area of the Funiu Mountains in western Henan, with complex topography and geomorphology; large changes in landscape patterns in recent years; frequent geological disasters, which have posed a greater threat to people's life and property safety; and significant ecological security problems. This paper takes Song County as the research area, using the decision tree model to obtain the land use classification results of four periods in Song County in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 based on remote sensing images. Landscape pattern analysis is conducted from two aspects: patch level and landscape level. On this basis, ecological security evaluation indicators are constructed from three levels: pressure, state, and response, and the comprehensive index model is used to obtain the results of four ecological security evaluations. Exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) is used to conduct research and prediction on spatiotemporal differentiation. Finally, the spatial heterogeneity relationship between the ecological security level and its driving factors in Song County is quantitatively analyzed using a geographic detector model. The results clearly show that the overall landscape form gradually tends to develop in the direction of complex irregularity. Due to frequent geological disasters and strong human engineering activities near the core areas of the Luhun Reservoir and Yi River basin, as well as Baihejie Village in Baihe Township and Che Village in Muzhijie Township, the landscape pattern is changing considerably. The self-restoration ability of the land's ecosystem is gradually weakening, and the degree of ecological damage is gradually accelerating. The ecological security level is unsafe, the area of unsafe security is gradually increasing, and the ecological security index (ESI) will continue to decrease in the future. To improve ecological security, we recommend paying attention to land conservation and rational utilization while pursuing economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article covers the issue of ecological security in Poland with a view to international regulation, the objectives of which are pursued at the municipality level, i.e., the basic unit of local government. It is in local areas and at the source of any threat that a rapid response is often needed to eliminate environmental pollution and its effects. Accordingly, the municipal authorities have been equipped with a number of powers enabling them to take action for environmental safety. It should be assumed as a research hypothesis that, in terms of activities in the sphere of ecological security, a municipal authority is a body that complements the activities of the state resulting from EU obligations and other higher-level local government units and that these activities are aimed at issues closest to individuals. The study is characterised by a legal theory-based approach. The main research method used in the study is the doctrinal method, as well as the method of legal text analysis. It mainly draws on theoretical views presented in legal studies and those offered in case law practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to propose a prediction method based on Deep Learning (DL) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, focusing on the ecological security and tourist satisfaction of Ice-and-Snow Tourism (IST) to solve practical problems in this field. Accurate predictions of ecological security and tourist satisfaction in IST have been achieved by collecting and analyzing environment and tourist behavior data and combining with DL models, such as convolutional and recurrent neural networks. The experimental results show that the proposed method has significant advantages in performance indicators, such as accuracy, F1 score, Mean Squared Error (MSE), and correlation coefficient. Compared to other similar methods, the method proposed improves accuracy by 3.2%, F1 score by 0.03, MSE by 0.006, and correlation coefficient by 0.06. These results emphasize the important role of combining DL with IoT technology in predicting ecological security and tourist satisfaction in IST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas (PAs) are established to conserve wildlife habitats and biodiversity. To this end, the Chinese central government has initiated a pioneering environmental planning and management policy known as the Ecological Conservation Redline (ECR). While the ecological benefits of ECR policy have been extensively evaluated, spatially explicit assessment of the ECR remains understudied. Here, we propose an element-function-structure framework for assessing the concurrence of ECR areas and ecological conservation hotspots to further outline priority areas for conservation. Results show that 67% of existing PAs are protected by ECR areas, while that of ecological corridors is only 11%. Regional variation in the ECR representativeness can be leveraged by deliberately protecting tailored ecological conservation hotspots in specific locations and stepping stones in ecological corridors. This study highlights the substantial space for ecological management to achieve the goals of ECR policy, and discourses on the co-production of knowledge from researchers and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive diagnosis of ecological security (ES) and its driving mechanisms in the watershed under mining influence is essential for the conservation and restoration of watershed ecosystems. Few studies have comprehensively evaluated ES by considering the condition of the ecosystem itself, the ecological function it provides, and the risk it faces. Therefore, by innovatively synthesizing ecosystem health (EH), ecological risk (ER), and ecosystem services (ESs), an ES evaluation framework based on EH-ER-ESs was constructed. Based on quantifying the ES of a typical watershed with mines clustered in China’s Northern Sand Prevention Belt, a spatial correlation analysis was used to elucidate the spatial differentiation characteristic of ES and verify the necessity of the evaluation framework. The driving mechanism of ES and the spatial heterogeneity of its key driving factors were explored using the Geodetector model and the geographically-weighted regression model. The results show that (1) ES was generally medium-security, and very low-security areas (8.16%) were mainly concentrated in the eastern mining aggregation areas. (2) ES showed high-high and low-low spatial clusters. Overall, ES was positively correlated with EH and ESs, while negatively correlated with ER, but there were individual cases of “high health-low security” and “high services-low security”, and combining EH, ER, and ESs to diagnose ES comprehensively was necessary. (3) Drought index, vegetation cover, distance from mining land, population density, and CONTAG were the key driving factors of ES. The explanatory power of factor interactions was higher than that of single factors. The impact of driving factors showed significant spatial heterogeneity, with the effects of mine agglomeration on ES primarily concentrated in the east. The EH-ER-ESs framework can be used for ES evaluation in other ecosystems, and the findings provide important guidance for conducting integrated watershed management.

Cultivated land’s ecological security ensures human well-being and is critical to global food security. However, the unchecked expansion and excessive exploitation of agricultural resources have led to considerable land degradation issues in China, including soil erosion, contamination, and environmental degradation, raising concerns over the cultivated land ecological security (CLES). Current research on cultivated land (CLES is relatively limited, particularly at the national level across different provinces. In addition, a unified and comprehensive CLES evaluation index system has yet to be formed. To fill this research gap, we construct a CLES evaluation system with 35 indicators from three dimensions of “society-natural-economy” based on the DPSIR model framework and entropy weight TOPSIS model. Simultaneously, we conducted a spatial–temporal analysis of CLES in 31 provinces of China from 2012 to 2021 and applied the obstacle degree model to analyze the main factors impeding the CLES in China. The results showed that: (1) During the study period, the CLES and its subsystems showed a good development trend. Spatially, the CLES in China presents a regional difference of “high in the east and low in the west” and a significant regional difference among provinces. (2) The spatial CLES in different provinces of China presents a significant positive correlation, and the spatial clustering effect of CLES is gradually strengthening. The “High-High” clusters are mainly distributed in the northeast and eastern regions, while the “Low-Low” clusters are mainly located in the western region. (3) From the perspective of the criterion level, the state subsystem and the impact subsystem are the main obstacles hindering the improvement of CLES in China. At the indicator level, the common obstacle factors affecting the enhancement of CLES across provinces in China include soil erosion control intensity, number of green food certifications, per capita agricultural loans, per capita cultivated land area, and per capita grain production. Our research results can provide practical policy reference for further improving the ecological protection of cultivated land.

The ecological sustainability of arid and semi-arid areas is under increasing threat due to global climate change, and well-established ecological networks are essential for improving landscape connectivity and conserving biodiversity. This study takes the Tacheng-Emin Basin in China as an example. Based on the “source-resistance-corridor” research paradigm and sustainable development theory, the “contribution-organization-vitality-resilience” and circuit theory of the ecosystem are incorporated into the construction of the ecological networks. The results show that (1) the ecosystem service value of the Tacheng-Emin basin is 5.85 × 1010 Yuan, the ecosystem of the basin is of medium health level, and the ecological security hierarchy has low level and uncoordinated problems. (2) The total integrated resistance surface in the basin is of medium level, dominated by natural resistance, and characterized by evident fragmentation. (3) 25 ecological sources, 58 ecological corridors, 32 ecological stepping stones, 39 obstacle points, and 46 ecological fracture points were extracted at the threshold of 10,000 in the circuit model. (4) The reconstruction cost of the ecological network is 1,007.41 × 104 Yuan, and the reconstructed ecological network have increased 2 ecological sources, 1 stepping stone, and reduced 3 obstacle points, while the closure of the ecological networks structure has been significantly improved and the ecological networks has developed toward a stable multi-grid structure. (5) The ecological zoning protection and restoration scheme of “one ring, one belt, one sink, multiple zones, and multiple corridors” is conducive to the sustainable ecological development of the basin. The results of this study can serve as a reference for ecological management and sustainable development in arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia.

In order to further understand the ecological status of the northern slope of Qinling Mountains, high-resolution remote sensing data and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method were used to build an assessment model for the evolution of ecological security. With the analysis of spatio temporal variation and its driving factors, the ecological security status of the mountains was deeply explored. The findings reveal an overall increasing trend in the ecological security of the region, with areas rated as moderately safe or above increasing from 67.5% to 71.9%. Ecological security is generally higher in the southern than in the northern regions, displaying a clear zonal distribution pattern. The evolution of ecological security first declined and then grew, with land use, normalized vegetation index, and PM2.5 identified as the primary driving factors, with correlation indices of 0.90, 0.86, and 0.79, respectively. The results indicate that anthropogenic activities from urbanization and ecological conservation policies significantly influence the ecological security of the northern Qinling region. This study not only offers a scientific assessment of the ecological security in the mountains, but also provides robust decision-making support for regional ecological conservation and sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aim of this study is to reveal the spatial and temporal patterns of nonlinear impact of changes in territorial development intensity on the evolution of ecological security, provide a scientific basis for promoting the high-quality development of the Wuling Mountain Area, and to build a strong ecological security barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. [Methods] The Wuling Mountain Area, a national key ecological functional area, was taken as the research object, the comprehensive assessment system of territorial development intensity and ecological security was firstly constructed. Then the spatial Dubin model was used to analyze the spatial spillover effect of territorial development intensity on ecological security. The threshold model was used to clarify the nonlinear relationship between the two under multiple constraints. [Results] The mean value of territorial development intensity increased from 0.195 in 2000 to 0.273 in 2020, and the mean value of ecological security index increased from 0.282 in 2000 to 0.438 in 2020, both of which showed an increasing trend of fluctuation. There was a positive spatial spillover effect between territorial development intensity and ecological security. The spillover effect of territorial development intensity on the exponential growth of ecological security in this county was significantly stronger than that in neighboring counties, overall driving the positive evolution of ecological security level in Wuling Mountain Area. The improvement of territorial development intensity had interval effect on ecological security, showing an inverted U-shaped curve relationship of ‘strengthening-weakening’. If the threshold value was between 0.158 to 0.309, the territorial development had a significant threshold effect on building the ecological security barrier. [Conclusion] During the study period, the territorial development intensity and its threshold in the Wuling Mountain Area gradually increased, and there was obvious spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the degree of impact on ecological security, so that setting the territorial development intensity interval according to local conditions became the key to optimizing the new pattern of land spatial development and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aims of this study are to objectively identify the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of ecological security in the middle reaches of Yangtze River urban agglomeration, to evaluate its ecological security level and diagnose its influencing factors, and to provide a reference for the construction of the regional ecological security pattern. [Methods] The 31 municipal administrative units in the middle reaches of Yangtze River urban agglomeration were used as research samples, and an ecological security evaluation index system was constructed based on the DPSIRM model. The spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of ecological safety in the study area were evaluated using exploratory spatial data analysis, and the factors impeding ecological safety were analyzed in conjunction with the barrier degree model. Finally, based on the evaluation and diagnosis results, the optimization path was proposed. [Results] (1) The ecological safety level of cities in the study area had generally been improving from 2006 to 2020, and the ecological safety level varied spatially, but the overall difference was not large. (2) The results of the ranking of the ecological safety barrier degree of the study area were management factors＞influence factors＞pressure factors＞response factors＞driving factors＞state factors. The improvement of its ecological safety level was mainly governed by six specific indicators, namely, the proportion of investment in fixed assets, the amount of water resources per capita, education expenditure within the general budget of local finance, the area of green areas and squares, the area of soil erosion control, and GDP per capita. (3) There was a certain positive spatial autocorrelation in the ecological safety level of the study area, with the formation of a high-value agglomeration area in central Jiangxi Province and a low-value agglomeration area in central Hubei Province. (4) It suggested that the most cities in the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River were at the critical safety level (Ⅲ), and there was still a large gap from reaching the overall safety level (Ⅴ) . [Conclusion] The ecological security level of the city cluster in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River showed an overall positive trend, and more attention should be paid to the response of economic countermeasures, the utilization of ecological resources as well as the construction and management of ecological systems, so as to help build an ecological security barrier for the city cluster in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mountain Research (10082786) is the property of Mountain Research Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article examines the position of the food and agricultural organization of the United Nations regarding support for agriculture to reach the level of environmentally safe sustainable development. It is very relevant, due to the fact that at this stage of the development of civilization, there is an increase in the consumption of natural resources, which leads to an ecological burden on agricultural systems and, as a result, various problems in the provision of ecological and food security arise, the solution of them requires a comprehensive approach. The article examines in which directions the legal regulation of environmental security in agriculture is carried out and analyzes the current legislation according to the following criteria: ensuring environmental security during the use of certain natural resources in the implementation of agricultural activities: land, water, atmospheric air, etc.; ensuring environmental security in the process of using auxiliary means in the implementation of agricultural activities: agrochemicals, pesticides, etc. The following groups: ensuring environmental security in the process of using machinery, technologies, equipment, the latest developments, etc. in the implementation of agricultural activities and ensuring environmental security in the disposal of agricultural waste, will be analyzed in detail in further scientific works. It is worth noting that in each selected group internal division is possible according to individual characteristics. Special attention is paid to the legal regulation of environmental security in the process of land use, because it is the main means of agricultural production. In the work, special attention is paid to the analysis of the legislation on ensuring environmental security in the process of using pesticides and agrochemicals in the implementation of agricultural activities, since environmental and food security directly depends on their use. It is noted that some provisions are controversial, do not have specific requirements for ensuring environmental security and do not meet the modern requirements of sustainable development of agriculture. The concept of sustainable agriculture is considered and ecologically safe, natural methods of increasing productivity and pest control are proposed. It is noted that for the development of sustainable agriculture, all the specified methods should be reflected in the environmental policy of the state and, subsequently, in the legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological security is an important guarantee of human security and survival, closely related to sustainable development. However, the ecological security evaluation and driving force analysis of oases in arid areas is still insufficient. Ejina Oasis's ecological security has experienced significant shifts following the centralized management of the Heihe River's water allocation. Understanding the shifts in ecological security in the Ejina region is paramount for the oasis's long-term sustainability. This paper employed the Pressure–State–Response (P–S–R) model to select socioeconomic and ecological indicators, establish a comprehensive ecological security evaluation index system, and then analyze the evolving ecological security in the region. Additionally, this paper explored the relationship between changes in the water area, oasis area, and ecological security by using the gray correlation degree to quantify the influence of Land Use Changes (LUCCs) on the overall ecological security. From 2000 to 2012, the ecological security index of Ejina Oasis remained relatively stable at around 0.4. However, a noticeable upward trend in the ecological security index emerged from 2012 to 2020, indicating a shift toward improved ecological security in the region. Critical determinants of this change included the habitat degradation degree, total population, habitat quality, carbon stock, fractional vegetation cover (FVC), the proportion of tertiary industry, and the volume of water discharged from Wolf Heart Mountain. The degree of habitat degradation, fractional vegetation cover (FVC), and the proportion of tertiary industry had the greatest impact on the change in ecological security. The pressure index was dominant in influencing ecological security before 2012 but gradually transitioned to the state index. This study offers a valuable framework for assessing the intricate relationship between LUCCs and ecological security in water-scarce, arid-region oases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Wildland Fire Science is the property of Journal of Wildland Fire Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Jinsha river valley in Yunnan Province is a typical dry and hot area in China. By introducing landscape pattern indices, we conducted a spatio-temporal evaluation of regional ecological security from 2000 to 2020 and quantitatively analyzed the influence of its driving factors. Those results showed that: (1) the indices that could characterized the landscape pattern were Division (DIVISION), Mean of Contiguity (CONTIG_MN), Patch Density (PD), and Area Weighted Mean of Shape (SHAPE_AM). (2) From 2000 to 2020, the regional ecological security resulted from cooperative effects of landscape pattern indices and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In 2000, in addition, ecological security resulted from the effects of water quality indices. (3) In 2000, most areas in Yuanmou, Wuding County, and Dongchuan District were in an unsafe or relatively unsafe state. In 2020, some areas of Yuanmou, Wuding, and Yongsheng County were in an unsafe or relatively unsafe state. (4) From 2000 to 2020, the impact of human activity intensity gradually strengthened. Compared with social and economic driving factors, natural driving factors like rainfall and altitude have a greater impact. Our findings can provide theoretical basis and scientific guidance to formulate regional ecological development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique mining process of China's ion-adsorption rare earth (RE) mines has changed the structure of the mine ecosystem, and the interplay between the natural red soil characteristics and economic and social activities has exacerbated environmental problems such as the degradation of regional vegetation cover and soil erosion. These issues have had a profound and detrimental impact on the ecological security (ES) of the mining areas. The existing static evaluation study cannot comprehensively assess the ES status and dynamic evolution trend of the mining area, and cannot meet the needs of the complex ecosystem in the mining area. Therefore, this article constructs an ES evaluation index system based on the driver-pressure-state-impact-response-management causal framework model, and uses the variable weight (VW) theory to formulate a penalty-dominated state VW function to calculate the weight values of the indicators in different contexts of each year and evaluation unit. Finally, a dynamic evaluation of the spatial and temporal evolution trend of the ES of the Lingbei RE mining area is carried out during the period from 2000 to 2020. The geodetector model is then applied to reveal the driving factors impacting the ES of the mining area in different time periods. The results show that 1) Compared to the constant weight method, VW can provide a more detailed distribution of the ES level in the mining area, which has good application value in the small and dispersed ionic RE mining area. 2) The overall ES status of the Lingbei mining area shows a dynamic trend of deterioration followed by improvement and finally stabilization. 3) The vegetation health status is one of the most important driving factors of ES in the mine site, and the interaction between any two factors is greater than the explanatory power of the individual factors. This study provided insights into the ES and sustainable development of mining areas.

Urban development, especially in large cities, has transformed both the structure and function of natural ecosystems as well as the quality of urban lands. The disruption of the supply and demand for ecosystem services, which results in ecological insecurity, is highly related to these alterations. Isfahan City, one of the largest population concentrations in Iran, has experienced rapid growth, which has caused the eradication of various natural regions in the surrounding areas. A variety of conservation, restoration, and management initiatives are implemented to enhance urban ecological security; however, in this study, the supply and demand ratio for carbon storage service in the central part of Isfahan has been proposed as an indicator of ecological security. The supply and demand ratio of the carbon storage was determined by examining the supply status of the carbon storage as well as the demand for this service, which was considered as the amount of carbon dioxide gas emission. Accordingly, most areas of the case study have experienced an imbalance in the supply and demand ratio of the carbon storage service, with an increase in demand for carbon storage service as a result of increased carbon dioxide emissions. It is suggested to construct green corridors in this city, and due to the reduced area of agricultural lands, South Ghohab has also experienced the processes of desertification, which necessitate the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. According to the findings, the increase in carbon emissions has had a greater impact on ecological security than the loss of green space. The quality of the urban ecosystem can only be improved by applying the knowledge of ecology, along with approaches such as maintaining ecosystem services and their supply, demand, and flow are crucial components of supporting sustainable development.

[Objective] An assessment framework for ecological security evaluation of natural resources was constructed to further analyze its evolution law in response to urbanization, in order to provie references for regional territorial space optimization and ecological civilization construction. [Methods] Based on the correlation between ecosystem health and ecosystem services, an ecological security framework based on “contribution, vigor, organization and resilience” was constructed. By using the InVEST model, landscape indices, and the Delphi method to evaluate the ecological security of Wuhan City in 2000 and 2021, the temporal and spatial evolution of ecological security was also analyzed. [Results] ① The ecological security index of Wuhan City was 0.394 4 in 2000 and 0.374 5 in 2021. Ecological security level showed a spatial distribution pattern of “low in the middle and high in the surrounding area”. The ecological security level of the Huangpi District was the highest. ② From 2000 to 2021, the overall ecological security of Wuhan City showed a downward trend. The declining areas were mainly located in a ring along the edge of the central urban area. The distribution of the “low security” area tended to gradually expand from the central core area. The transition of areas from “medium ecological safety” to “low ecological safety” and from “high ecological security” to “medium ecological safety” was widespread. [Conclusion] Urban expansion has resulted in declining ecological security of natural resources. Therefore, territorial space planning should be further strengthened, including punishments for illegal occupation of ecological land and strengthening the protection of ecological space.

Threats caused by human activities have reduced the quantity and quality of wildlife habitats connectivity. This research seeks to protect habitat biodiversity by creating a network of high quality habitats that remained. Therefore, it is very necessary to know about the dynamic effects of changes in the landscape pattern on the quality of the habitat, because it helps to preserve biodiversity, guarantee ecological security, and environmental sustainability. In the present study, a systematic process was used to design a network of habitat services comprising hotspots and corridors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems of eastern Iran, South Khorasan Province. In this process, habitat quality was first modeled using the InVEST software, then data mining methods were used to identify habitat hotspots and their spatial distribution. In the next step, habitat corridors were extracted based on the circuit theory and using the Circuitscape software. In the ultimate step, using graph theory based on the concept of ecological security, the connectivity of the habitat network was evaluated. The results of habitat network construction showed that 8% and 6% of the total area of the study area included key habitat patches and corridors, respectively. On the other hand, the overlapping of habitat network components with the conserved areas of the study area showed that free or non-conservation areas make up a significant amount of network components (49.18% of the habitat patch and 80.02% of the habitat corridor). These results reveal the existence of habitat protection potential and can help in updating the new boundaries of conservation areas. Also, the composite indices of dPC and dIIC could determine the importance of each of the network's components in evaluating the connectivity of the habitat network, so that the application of the results can show the priority options to the land managers for protecting the habitat network. In general, the systematic process proposed in this research can be used in planning the sustainable conservation of habitat networks, identifying patterns of ecological security, evaluating and constructing habitat networks in lands with similar climates, and changing and wisely reviewing the conservation area boundaries.