Identification and Optimization of Ecological Security Patterns in the Xiangyang Metropolitan Area

Robust ecological security patterns (ESPs) serve as the fundamental basis for the entirety of the ecological realm and are the essence of constructing a territorial spatial planning system that promotes development and preservation. However, as urbanization, industrialization, and transportation accelerate, the ecological security of urban agglomerations faces an unprecedented challenge. Nevertheless, judiciously identifying and optimizing ESPs can mitigate this threat. In this study, we constructed a “material-sensitivities-disturbances” framework covering both natural and social indicators and identified ESPs using geo-information system (GIS) spatial analysis, MSPA, minimum cost routes, and gravity models. The identification results reveal that the Xiangyang metropolitan area has 17 248.21 km
²
of ecological source area, 80 possible ecological corridors, 26 ecological hubs, and 4 ecological functional regions. The natural sources are mostly found in Qinba Mountain, Dahong Mountain, Tongbai Mountain, and the woods and rivers around the Han River. We suggested an ecological optimization framework consisting of “one axis, three screens, four belts, and multiple nodes” based on the geographical distribution of ecological safety levels. This study proposes a set of spatial optimization techniques for coordinating urbanization with ecological conservation, which may be utilized as a model for ecological governance and restoration in the Xiangyang metropolitan region and even throughout Central China.