Apparent ecological network expansion masks structural reorganization and corridor vulnerability in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration

Abstract Rapid urbanization is reorganizing landscape connectivity, yet whether increases in ecological sources or corridors actually represent stronger regional networks remains unclear. Using three representative time slices (2013, 2018, and 2023) in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, China, we integrated InVEST–MSPA, Conefor, circuit theory, complex-network analysis, Louvain community detection, and edge collective influence (ECI) to examine stage-specific network reorganization and corridor vulnerability. Source numbers increased from 70 to 90 and then declined to 82, whereas total source area continuously decreased from 22,589.53 to 20,510.21 km². Corridor numbers changed from 122 to 165 to 154, while mean corridor length and the intercity-corridor share declined continuously. Cross-period source matching showed that the 2018 peak included retained, newly identified, and locally subdivided source patches. All complete annual networks remained connected, but their mesoscale organization changed: Louvain communities decreased from 13 to 10 while modularity remained close to 0.79. ECI and edge betweenness identified largely different high-value corridor sets, and fixed-removal experiments revealed distinct modes of structural vulnerability. Random-removal distributions further showed that large one-step connectivity losses can occur at different removal steps, providing a common uncertainty benchmark for targeted strategies. These results indicate that apparent network expansion can coexist with contraction of the ecological base, connection reconfiguration, and multiple forms of corridor dependence.