Construction of Ecological Security Pattern Based on the Importance of Ecological Protection—A Case Study of Guangxi, a Karst Region in China

Abstract

The ecological security pattern is an important way to coordinate the contradiction between regional economic development and ecological protection and is conducive to promoting regional sustainable development. This study examines Guangxi, a karst region in China. The ecosystem service function and ecological environment sensitivity were both selected to evaluate the ecological conservation importance, and based on the results of the ecological conservation importance evaluation, suitable patches were selected as ecological sources. Meanwhile, resistance factors were selected from both natural factors and human activities to construct a comprehensive resistance surface, circuit theory was used to identify ecological corridors, ecological pinch points, and ecological barrier points, and ecological protection suggestions were then proposed. The results show that there are 50 patches of ecological sources in Guangxi, with a total area of 60,556.99 km2; 115 ecological corridors, with the longest corridor reaching 194.97 km; 301 ecological pinch points, whose spatial distribution is fragmented; and 286 ecological barrier points, most of which are concentrated in the central part of Guangxi. The results of this study provide a reference for the construction of ecological security patterns and ecological conservation in developing countries and karst areas.