Study on the characteristics of ecological network and critical areas of
ecological restoration in Hebei-Tianjin coastal wetlands
Abstract
Coastal wetlands are crucial ecosystems at the interface between land
and sea. In the context of economic development and urbanization, these
wetlands face challenges such as reduction in area and fragmentation.
Ecological networks can connect fragmented habitats, creating corridors
for material, information, and energy transmission. This is vital for
maintaining biological and landscape diversity and ensuring the healthy
development of ecosystems. However, there is currently no research on
the ecological networks in the Hebei-Tianjin coastal wetlands. In this
study, the morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) method is
employed to identify wetlands sources, while the minimum cumulative
resistance (MCR) model is used to extract potential ecological
corridors. By combining these with existing river corridors, the
ecological network of coastal wetlands in Hebei and Tianjin is
constructed, and regional network characteristics are analyzed. Critical
areas of ecological protection and restoration are determined, including
important ecological corridors, ecological pinch points, and ecological
breakpoints. The results showed that: (1) The ecological network of
Hebei-Tianjin coastal wetlands consisted of 38 ecological sources, 171
potential ecological corridors, and 399 river corridors, with a total
area of 851.31 km2. (2) Key ecological protection and restoration areas
were proposed, including 35 crucial potential wetlands ecological
corridors, 343 ecological pinch points, and 99 ecological breakpoints.
Targeted restoration of these critical areas could significantly improve
the connectivity of wetlands ecological networks. (3) At present,
priority should be given to protecting critical ecological corridors and
existing river corridors with high similarity to potential ecological
corridors. The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis for
the network construction and protection of Hebei-Tianjin coastal
wetlands.