Linking Ecosystem Service and MSPA to Construct Landscape Ecological Network of the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal

A significant decline in ecosystem services along the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal from 1990 to 2018 highlights the urgent need for ecological restoration and protection. The study, using advanced models like MSPA, minimum cumulative resistance (MCR), and gravity model, identified 12 key ecological source patches totaling 2007.06 km² and mapped a network of 373.84 km of ecological corridors, with optimal widths of 200–400 m. The research also pinpointed 29 critical ecological breakpoints for restoration, emphasizing the severe impact of land-use changes (overlapping at 99% with ecosystem service degradation areas). This work provides a blueprint for optimizing ecological space and formulating protection plans, serving as a model for other sections of the Grand Canal.

Tang, F., Zhou, X., Wang, L., Zhang, Y., Fu, M., & Zhang, P. (2021). Linking Ecosystem Service and MSPA to Construct Landscape Ecological Network of the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal. Land, 10(9), 919. https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090919