Construction of forest ecological security patterns based on MSPA model and circuit theory in the Desertification Control forests in South China Karst

The ecological security pattern (ESP) is crucial for biodiversity, environmental quality, and regional sustainable development. This study comprehensively analyzed karst desertification control (KDC) forests. Using a comprehensive approach, we analyzed KDC forests through normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land use/land cover (LULC), and other data. Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) was applied to identify ecological sources (ES), while circuit theory extracted ecological corridors (EC) and nodes (EN) to build a hierarchical ESP. The results show: (1) Severe fragmentation of KDC forest patches, with area significantly decreasing as karst desertification (KD) severity increases. (2) Insufficient connectivity and high resistance to ecological flow causing internal degradation. (3) The SLX, HFH, and HJ each extracted 108, 68, and 113 EC, and 67, 20, and 40 EN. (4) The ESP of forests with varying levels of KDC exhibited significant differences. Findings advance KDC forest structure-function insights, providing a scientific foundation for targeted restoration strategies.