Ecological Vulnerability Assessment and Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Central Urban Area of Hailar

Urban ecological vulnerability has become an important perspective for understanding ecosystem stability under environmental change. However, its spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms remain insufficiently understood in high-latitude grassland cities. This study focuses on the central urban area of Hailar and examines how ecological vulnerability evolves and what factors shape its spatial differentiation. Using the sensitivity–resilience–pressure (SRP) framework, a multidimensional evaluation system was constructed based on statistical yearbooks and GIS-based spatial data. Ecological vulnerability was assessed on a 1 km grid from 2010 to 2020, and its evolution was analyzed in three stages. The spatial pattern remains relatively stable but shows increasing differentiation over time. High-vulnerability areas are persistently concentrated in built-up regions, while low-vulnerability areas are mainly located in surrounding forest and grassland ecosystems with higher ecological resilience. Over time, vulnerability gradually shifts outward from the urban core, with clear intensification along the urban fringe. The results indicate that ecological vulnerability is driven by the interaction of sensitivity, resilience, and pressure, while urban expansion plays a key role in intensifying ecological stress and reshaping spatial patterns. The study provides a framework for understanding ecological vulnerability dynamics in high-latitude resource-based grassland cities and supports zoning-based ecological management and land-use optimization.