内蒙古黄河流域生态保护恢复优先区识别

Finding ways to scientifically identify the priority areas of ecological protection and restoration and implement adapted strategies in different regions is a challenge faced by current ecological protection and restoration work. This study was based on the Yellow River Basin in Inner Mongolia, and the ecological security evaluation was conducted using spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) and morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). The ecological protection and restoration areas were identified by combining the matching degree oflandscape elements. The results indicated that (1) the study area was dominated by areas with moderate ecological security, accounting for 40.58% of the total area; (2) 14 ecological sources (accounting for 20.92% of the study area), 42 ecological corridors, and 78 ecological nodes were identified by MSPA and minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR); (3) among the 62 sub- watersheds in the study area, 8 had a high matching level of landscape elements, accounting for 23.34% of the total area, and 38 watersheds had a low matching level, accounting for 43.20% of the total area; and (4) the priority areas of the third- and first-level ecological restoration accounted for 35.53% (the largest) and 18.63%, respectively. Based on the identification results of priority areas of ecological protection and restoration, the restoration strategies of different regions were discussed. Our results can provide a basis for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin in Inner Mongolia.