Adaptability analysis and spatial correlation characteristics of water-energy-food-ecology system in the Yellow River Basin from the perspective of symbiosis

Based on the symbiosis theory, the concept of compatibility within the regional water-energy-food-ecology (WEFE) system was proposed. An indicator system for adaptability analysis was constructed from three subsystems: coordination, stability, and sustainability. Using the co-evolution model and partial autocorrelation analysis, the spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns and spatial correlation patterns of WEFE adaptability in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2011 to 2022 were assessed. The results indicated that: (1) The order of subsystem weights was: stability > sustainability > coordination. (2) The absolute adaptability of the indicator was significantly higher than the relative adaptability. The adaptability degree of the three subsystems increased to varying degrees. Overall, the adaptability of the WEFE system in the middle and lower reaches of the YRB was obviously higher than in the upper reaches. (3) In terms of system coordination, the coordination and stability subsystems improved, whereas the coordination of the sustainability subsystem gradually declined. (4) The adaptability levels of the WEFE system in the YRB had a random distribution. In terms of local spatial autocorrelation, there were significant spatial disparities and path dependencies in the WEFE system adaptability across the YRB. This study enhances the understanding of the symbiotic adaptability development among water resources, food, energy and ecology in the YRB and provides important insights for regional multi-resource collaborative management.