Reconciling Urban Expansion with Biodiversity: Habitat Dynamics and Ecological Connectivity in Xiong’an New Area’s Full-Cycle Development

Urbanization presents significant challenges to biodiversity but also offers opportunities for its protection and development. While uncontrolled urban expansion has a destructive impact on biodiversity, effective urban planning can play a positive role in protecting and maintaining urban biodiversity. The positive role of human factors, such as urban planning, can protect and maintain the healthy development of urban biodiversity. This study conducted an in-depth analysis of the evolution of various wildlife migration corridors throughout the full-cycle construction of Xiong’an New Area (Xiong’an) in China, revealing the impact of urbanization on these networks. Habitats for species like Sus scrofa, Bufo gargarizans, and Parus minor have notably increased. Between 2016 and 2023, Sus scrofa habitats grew from 35 to 44, large-toed frog habitats from 24 to 35, and Chinese tit habitats remained stable. By the planning phase, Sus scrofa habitats expanded to 87, large-toed frog habitats to 97, and Chinese tit habitats to 58. Habitat areas also grew significantly, especially for Sus scrofa, which increased from 2873.84 hectares in 2016 to 7527.97 hectares in the planning phase. Large-toed frog habitats grew from 2136.86 hectares to 6982.78 hectares, while Chinese tit habitats expanded from 1894.25 hectares to 3679.71 hectares. These changes suggest that urban parks and green spaces have provided more extensive habitats for these species. In terms of migration networks, the number of dispersal routes increased considerably. In 2016, Sus scrofa had 77 routes, large-toed frogs had 16, and Chinese tits had 77. By 2023, Sus scrofa and large-toed frog routes increased to 91 and 49, respectively, while Chinese tit routes remained stable. In the planning phase, Sus scrofa routes surged to 232, large-toed frogs to 249, and Chinese tits to 152, indicating a denser migration network. The distribution of ecological pinchpoints also changed significantly. By 2023 and in the planning phase, pinchpoints were concentrated in densely built areas, reflecting urbanization’s impact on the ecological network. The ecological resilience, assessed through network performance, showed a gradual recovery. The ecological connectivity index decreased from 8.25 in 2016 to 7.29 in 2023, then rebounded to 11.37 in the planning phase, indicating that the ecosystem had adapted after initial urbanization pressures.