Identification and Optimization of Ecological Security Patterns in the Xiangyang Metropolitan Area

A robust ecological security patterns (ESPs) serves as the fundamental basis for the entirety of the ecological realm and is the essence of constructing a territorial spatial planning system that promotes development and preservation. However, as urbanisation, industrialisation, and transportation accelerate, the ecological security of urban agglomerations faces an unprecedented challenge. Nevertheless, judiciously identifying and optimizing ESPs can mitigate this threat. In this study, we constructed a “material- sensitivities-disturbances” framework covering both natural and social indicators, and identified ESPs using GIS spatial analysis, MSPA, MCR, and gravity models. The identification results reveals that the Xiangyang metropolitan area has 17,248.21 km ² of ecological source area, 80 possible ecological corridors, 26 ecological hubs, and 4 ecological functional regions. The natural sources are mostly found in Qinba Mountain, Dahong Mountain, Tongbai Mountain, and the woods and rivers around the Han River. We suggested an ecological optimisation framework consisting of “one axis, three screens, four belts, and multiple nodes” based on the geographical distribution of ecological safety levels. This study proposes a set of spatial optimisation techniques for coordinating urbanisation with ecological conservation, which may be utilised as a model for ecological governance and restoration in the Xiangyang metropolitan region and even throughout Central China.