Spatial Optimization and Temporal Changes in the Ecological Network: A Case Study of Wanning City, China

Ecological networks serve as vital tools for safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring regional ecological stability. This study, conducted in Wanning City, employs minimum-area threshold analysis to pinpoint crucial ecological sources while extracting potential ecological corridors using the minimum cumulative resistance model. Our investigation delves into the ecological network’s elements and structural transformations within Wanning City, spanning the period from 2000 to 2020, and assesses the priorities for ecological network preservation. The findings of our research reveal noteworthy spatial disparities in the distribution of ecological sources across Wanning City. Furthermore, the ecological corridors display sparse patterns in the north and denser patterns in the south. Over the two decades from 2000 to 2020, Wanning’s ecological resources exhibited a discernible trend of contraction and fragmentation, accompanied by an uneven spatial distribution. The average path length of the ecological corridors has increased, indicative of reduced biological flow efficiency. Correspondingly, the structural accessibility of the ecological network has decreased, signifying a decline in landscape connectivity. Based on our analysis, we propose an ecological protection and restoration framework denoted as “One Belt, Four Sources, Eight districts, multiple corridors, and multiple points”. Therefore, with the Shangxi–Jianling, Liulianling, Nanlin, and Jiexin nature reserves as the core area, and Houan Town, Damao Town, Changfeng Town, and Liji Town as the key restoration areas, we have proposed an ecological protection and restoration pattern.