Identification of spatial conservation and restoration priorities for ecological networks planning in a highly urbanized region: A case study in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, China

Building ecological networks is not only critical for biodiversity conservation, but also for sustainable urban development. It is of great significance to integrate a connected network of protected areas into spatial planning as human-dominated land use changes are mostly a non-reversible process. Taking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region as an example, the Least Cost Path (LCP) model is adopted for ecological networks simulation at regional scale based on a resistance map composed by different factors (i.e., naturalness of land covers, the riparian corridor, and disturbance of roads) derived from very high resolution spatial data. Then, all least cost paths are classified as green or blue paths, and evaluated according to their contribution to the whole network connectivity. Two types of prioritized locations are identified for restoration and conservation of the ecological networks: breaking points and stepping stones. The results show that there are a total of 246 potential ecological corridors between the protected areas, and 6 breaking points that need to be restored and 12 intersection points of LCPs (particularly with the blue paths) that are considered as stepping stones enhancing networks connectivity. Further spatial overlay of the ecological networks and Major Function Oriented Zone (MFOZ) plan shows that the current regional development strategy needs to be adapted to protect the integrity of the ecological networks from possible disturbance of human activities. On-site verification has proved that our results can provide reliable instructions for spatial conservation and restoration of ecological networks and contribute to the optimization of spatial planning in practice.