Ecological restoration zoning of territorial space in the Tarim River Basin under the spatial optimization-functional improvement framework.

The ecological restoration zoning of territorial space plays a crucial role in improving habitat quality, ensuring regional ecological security, and promoting regional sustainable development. Scientifically classifying ecolo-gical restoration zones and implementing differentiated strategies are the focal points of current ecological restoration research. Previous studies mostly focus on single-factor or static analysis, with insufficient research on zoning from the perspective of the coupling of spatial optimization and ecosystem service function improvement. Based on the "spatial optimization-functional improvement" framework, by evaluating the spatio-temporal evolution of spatial conflicts and ecosystem service functions from 2000 to 2023, we analyzed spatial optimization zones and ecosystem service function improvement zones in Tarim River Basin. Combined with the dominant functions of regional ecosystem services, we classified the primary and secondary zones for ecological restoration zoning of territorial space. The results showed that the spatial pattern of the Tarim River Basin remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2010, while the demand for spatial optimization grew from 2010 to 2023. The ecosystem service functions in the Tarim River Basin exhibited distinct distribution features. The improvement zones where water conservation, soil conservation, and habitat quality were primarily clustered in the central-southern desert core area and the northeastern part, and the improvement zone for windbreak and sand fixation were distributed in the marginal transition zone. Based on the "spatial optimization-functional improvement" framework, the ecological restoration of the Tarim River Basin could be divided into four primary zones, namely the key ecological restoration zone, the ecosystem service function improvement zone, the ecological autonomous restoration zone, and the ecosystem service function retention zone, and 19 secondary zones. The restoration directions and engineering measures of each zone were different. This research would enrich the methods for the ecological restoration zoning of territorial space and provide a scientific basis for the layout and precise policy implementation of ecological restoration projects in the Tarim River Basin.