Optimizing the Ecological Network to Construct an Ecological Security Pattern in a Metropolitan Area: A Case Study of the Jinan Metropolitan Area, China

Constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) represents an effective strategy for alleviating regional landscape fragmentation, which is crucial for maintaining regional ecological health. This study focuses on the Jinan metropolitan area as a case study, employing morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), ecosystem services evaluation, and circuit theory to construct the ecological network (EN). This study optimizes the EN by considering connectivity and spatial distribution, with reference to priority areas and ecological protection red lines (EPRLs). Additionally, the robustness of the EN was evaluated, and the ESP for the Jinan metropolitan area was constructed. The results show the following: (1) The initial EN of the study area comprises 40 ecological sources (ESs) and 84 ecological corridors (ECs). Four types of priority areas were identified. There is a noticeable imbalance in the spatial distribution of ESs and ECs across the Jinan metropolitan area. (2) During the optimization process, 10 new ESs were extracted based on priority areas, which weakened the obstacle effect of problem areas in ECs, and 7 new ESs were extracted based on EPRL, which solved the problem of uneven distribution of ESs to a certain extent. (3) The optimized EN consists of 57 ESs and 124 ECs. Robustness analysis reveals that this multi-perspective optimization method enhances the connectivity and stability of the EN. An ESP of “One Belt, Two Axes, Two Zones, and Five Cores” has been established for the Jinan metropolitan area. This study provides a valuable reference for sustainable development in the Jinan metropolitan area and offers a scientific basis for similar metropolitan areas.