Identification of Ecological Restoration Zones Based on Ecological Security Pattern and Ecological Risk Assessment—A Case Study of Liaoning Province

Rapid urbanization has intensified ecological problems such as landscape fragmentation and biodiversity decline, underscoring the need to maintain regional ecological integrity. The construction of ecological security patterns and the optimization of ecological restoration areas are crucial for addressing these ecological issues. However, research on how to couple ecological security patterns with ecological risk assessment to scientifically identify priority areas for ecological restoration and guide spatially targeted restoration remains insufficient. To address this gap, we investigated Liaoning Province by integrating morphological spatial pattern analysis, landscape connectivity assessment, and ecosystem service hotspot analysis to identify ecological sources. We then applied the minimum cumulative resistance model and circuit theory to extract ecological corridors, constructing a comprehensive ecological security pattern. Integrating landscape ecological risk assessment with ecological security patterns established a conservation and restoration-oriented ecological security framework. The results show that the ecological security pattern comprises 40 ecological source patches and 89 potential ecological corridors. Ecological sources encompass a total of 17,628 km2 (approximately 12% of the province), primarily comprising water bodies, grasslands, shrublands, and forests. The ecological corridors span a total of 3533.9 km, with an average length of 39.7 km. We also identified 139 ecological pinch points and 109 ecological barrier points. Integrating these findings with landscape ecological risk zoning delineates ecological restoration zones, revealing a spatial pattern characterized by east–west differentiation and north–south continuity. This ecological conservation and restoration network provides a clear spatial guide and a robust scientific foundation for territorial spatial planning, ecological conservation, and restoration efforts.