Construction and Optimization of Ecological Network in Guanzhong Region of Shaanxi Province Based on PLUS-InVEST-Linkage Mapper

Rapid urbanization poses a serious threat to China’s ecological security. However, the current single-spatio-temporal-scenario ecological network constructed based on the current situation of natural resources and land use ignores the dynamic changes in network and urban development, and its stability and connectivity lack verification feedback. On the basis of constructing the existing ecological network, the paper forecasts the expansion of future urban land use and optimizes the overall ecological network of the study area from three aspects: ecological source areas, corridors, and ecological nodes. The results showed the following: (1) From 1990 to 2020, a large amount of forest land in the Guanzhong region was converted into cultivated land, while a large amount of cultivated land was converted into urban land, and the same applies to 2020–2050. From 1990 to 2050, the overall habitat quality in the Guanzhong region shows a downward trend, exhibiting a gradual decrease from the center towards the edges. (2) The ecological source area in the Guanzhong region decreases by 775.38 km2, and the number of potential ecological corridors increases, but their length decreases by 1.75 km. The overall connectivity of the ecological network during the two periods is not high, and the degree of network closure is relatively low. (3) Comparative analysis before and after optimization shows that the optimized ecological network has greater ecological stability and landscape connectivity. In other words, the optimized ecological network can supplement and improve the original ecological network, thereby making it more sustainable and in line with the regional characteristics of the study area.