IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i5p4487-d1085965.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Integrated Model for Constructing Urban Ecological Networks and Identifying the Ecological Protection Priority: A Case Study of Wujiang District, Suzhou

Author

Listed:
  • Liyu Pan

    (Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore)

  • Wenquan Gan

    (School of Design, Xi’an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
    School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK)

  • Jinliu Chen

    (School of Design, Xi’an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
    School of Design and Art, Suzhou City University, Suzhou 215104, China)

  • Kunlun Ren

    (School of Design, Xi’an-Jiaotong Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China
    School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK)

Abstract

As a result of the rapid urbanisation in China, the ecological system in urban areas has become fragmented, posing a threat to ecological stability. Constructing ecological networks is considered a critical strategy to reconnect habitats, restore ecosystems and improve ecological capacity. This research aims to develop a GIS-based model that can inform urban ecological network construction and identify the priority areas for ecological protection in a given urban context. The methodological prototype considers land use, habitat conditions and human interventions from an integrated perspective and has been tested based on a case study in Wujiang District, Suzhou. The results show that (i) 30 critical ecological patches were identified, including 2 vital, 4 important and 24 general cores; (ii) 69 ecological corridors, including 15 vital, 36 important and 18 general corridors, 59 ecological nodes and 24 barriers were determined. Based on these results, this research identified priority restoration and protected areas that urgently require the restoration of ecological networks according to their importance. This research proposes further recommendations on management strategies for construction and protection guidance at macro and micro levels in accordance with existing territorial and spatial planning of Wujiang. The model developed in this research provides a scientific methodology for planning and optimising ecological networks and can serve as a basis for realising ecological protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Liyu Pan & Wenquan Gan & Jinliu Chen & Kunlun Ren, 2023. "An Integrated Model for Constructing Urban Ecological Networks and Identifying the Ecological Protection Priority: A Case Study of Wujiang District, Suzhou," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4487-:d:1085965
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4487/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/5/4487/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jianying Xu & Feifei Fan & Yanxu Liu & Jianquan Dong & Jixing Chen, 2019. "Construction of Ecological Security Patterns in Nature Reserves Based on Ecosystem Services and Circuit Theory: A Case Study in Wenchuan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Moreira, Miguel & Fonseca, Catarina & Vergílio, Marta & Calado, Helena & Gil, Artur, 2018. "Spatial assessment of habitat conservation status in a Macaronesian island based on the InVEST model: a case study of Pico Island (Azores, Portugal)," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 637-649.
    3. Liu, Xuehua & Li, Jihong, 2008. "Scientific solutions for the functional zoning of nature reserves in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 215(1), pages 237-246.
    4. Juyi Xia & Ming Cao & Wen Xiao & Yanpeng Li & Gang Fu & Wei Wang & Junsheng Li, 2020. "Integrating Spatial Valuation of Ecosystem Services into Protected Area Management: A Case Study of the Cangshan Nature Reserve in Dali, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    5. Jiaquan Duan & Xuening Fang & Cheng Long & Yinyin Liang & Yue ‘e Cao & Yijing Liu & Chentao Zhou, 2022. "Identification of Key Areas for Ecosystem Restoration Based on Ecological Security Pattern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    6. Hui Ye & Zhaoping Yang & Xiaoliang Xu, 2020. "Ecological Corridors Analysis Based on MSPA and MCR Model—A Case Study of the Tomur World Natural Heritage Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuhan Bai & Jiajia Zhao & Hangrui Shen & Xinyao Li & Bo Wen, 2024. "The Evolution of Forest Landscape Connectivity and Ecological Network Construction: A Case Study of Zhejiang’s Ecological Corridors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Minjun Zhao & Ning Liu & Jinliu Chen & Danqing Wang & Pengcheng Li & Di Yang & Pu Zhou, 2024. "Navigating Post-COVID-19 Social–Spatial Inequity: Unravelling the Nexus between Community Conditions, Social Perception, and Spatial Differentiation," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-28, April.
    3. Yuanyuan Liu & Caihong Ma & Zhonghua Yang & Xin Fan, 2023. "Ecological Security of Desert–Oasis Areas in the Yellow River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mengyuan Su & Xiaoqian Fang & Kaiying Sun & Jiahao Bao & Yu Cao, 2023. "Construction and Optimization of an Ecological Network in the Comprehensive Land Consolidation Project of a Small Rural Town in Southeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Xifan Chen & Lihua Xu & Rusong Zhu & Qiwei Ma & Yijun Shi & Zhangwei Lu, 2022. "Changes and Characteristics of Green Infrastructure Network Based on Spatio-Temporal Priority," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Zixuan Lian & Xianhui Feng, 2022. "Urban Green Space Pattern in Core Cities of the Greater Bay Area Based on Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Shuangshuang Liu & Qipeng Liao & Mingzhu Xiao & Dengyue Zhao & Chunbo Huang, 2022. "Spatial and Temporal Variations of Habitat Quality and Its Response of Landscape Dynamic in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Dike Zhang & Jianpeng Wang & Ying Wang & Lei Xu & Liang Zheng & Bowen Zhang & Yuzhe Bi & Hui Yang, 2022. "Is There a Spatial Relationship between Urban Landscape Pattern and Habitat Quality? Implication for Landscape Planning of the Yellow River Basin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Hanwen Zhang & Yanqing Lang, 2022. "Quantifying and Analyzing the Responses of Habitat Quality to Land Use Change in Guangdong Province, China over the Past 40 Years," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, May.
    7. Liu, Xuehua & Liu, Lin & Peng, Yu, 2017. "Ecological zoning for regional sustainable development using an integrated modeling approach in the Bohai Rim, China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 353(C), pages 158-166.
    8. Liu, Gengyuan & Yang, Zhifeng & Chen, Bin & Gao, Shan & Su, Meirong & Zhang, Yan, 2015. "Designing a multi-species spatially explicit nature reserve network construction framework based on extinction probability: A case study of Wuyishan city," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 109-117.
    9. Xiaoqing Zhao & Qifa Yue & Jianchao Pei & Junwei Pu & Pei Huang & Qian Wang, 2021. "Ecological Security Pattern Construction in Karst Area Based on Ant Algorithm," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-21, June.
    10. Haochen Yu & Jiu Huang & Chuning Ji & Zi’ao Li, 2021. "Construction of a Landscape Ecological Network for a Large-Scale Energy and Chemical Industrial Base: A Case Study of Ningdong, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-24, March.
    11. Tan, Kun & Zhao, Xiaoqing & Pu, Junwei & Li, Sinan & Li, Yuhao & Miao, Peipei & Wang, Qian, 2021. "Zoning regulation and development model for water and land resources in the Karst Mountainous Region of Southwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    12. Xichen Ge & Liang Sun & Jiongzhen Chen & Shuangrong Cai, 2022. "Land Utilization, Landscape Pattern, and Ecological Efficiency: An Empirical Analysis of Discrimination and Overlap from Suining, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-19, July.
    13. Shrestha, Kripa & Shakya, Bandana & Adhikari, Biraj & Nepal, Mani & Shaoliang, Yi, 2023. "Ecosystem services valuation for conservation and development decisions: A review of valuation studies and tools in the Far Eastern Himalaya," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    14. Lingfan Ju & Yan Liu & Jin Yang & Mingshun Xiang & Qing Xiang & Wenkai Hu & Zhengyi Ding, 2023. "Construction of Nature Reserves’ Ecological Security Pattern Based on Landscape Ecological Risk Assessment: A Case Study of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    15. Yanan Li & Linghua Duo & Ming Zhang & Zhenhua Wu & Yanjun Guan, 2021. "Assessment and Estimation of the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Landscape Patterns and Their Impact on Habitat Quality in Nanchang, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.
    16. Ling Xiao & Li Cui & Qun’ou Jiang & Meilin Wang & Lidan Xu & Haiming Yan, 2020. "Spatial Structure of a Potential Ecological Network in Nanping, China, Based on Ecosystem Service Functions," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-18, October.
    17. Yayan Lu & Junhong Zhao & Jianwei Qi & Tianyu Rong & Zhi Wang & Zhaoping Yang & Fang Han, 2022. "Monitoring the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Habitat Quality and Its Driving Factors Based on the Coupled NDVI-InVEST Model: A Case Study from the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, October.
    18. Xiaoyang Liu & Ming Wei & Jian Zeng, 2020. "Simulating Urban Growth Scenarios Based on Ecological Security Pattern: A Case Study in Quanzhou, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-20, October.
    19. Ruibing Meng & Jiale Cai & Hui Xin & Zhongju Meng & Xiaohong Dang & Yanlong Han, 2023. "Spatio-Temporal Changes in Land Use and Habitat Quality of Hobq Desert along the Yellow River Section," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-24, February.
    20. Mengting Chen & Liang Zheng & Dike Zhang & Jiangfeng Li, 2022. "Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Obstacle Factors Analysis of Tourism Ecological Security in Huanggang Dabieshan UNESCO Global Geopark," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-22, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4487-:d:1085965. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.