Identifying key areas of ecological protection and restoration oriented to human ecological needs: A case study of Huanghua City

Protecting and restoring ecosystems while enhancing residents' sense of ecological access and well-being is an urgent challenge in the current context of ecological protection and restoration of territorial spaces. This study proposes a novel ecological network-based framework for identifying key areas for ecological protection and restoration by incorporating ecological needs into their identification. The results indicate that the distribution of ecological sources in Huanghua City has minimal spatial overlap with areas of high ecological demand. A composite corridor network totaling 801.9 km was constructed, comprising 207.60 and 594.30 km of ecological and demand corridors, respectively, which resulted in extensive coverage. Thirty-two key areas for ecological protection and restoration were identified, including seven ecological nodes, 10 ecological pinch points, and 15 ecological barriers. In addition to these key areas, protecting core ecological sources, enhancing the construction of parks and green spaces, and improving water network connectivity are essential strategies for enhancing residents' ecological access. The identification of key areas for ecological protection and restoration based on the composite network offers insights into how these processes can improve the well-being of residents.