An integrated approach towards spatial identification of restored and conserved priority areas of ecological network for implementation planning in metropolitan region

Abstract Rapid urbanization has led to landscape fragmentation, habitat loss, and the disruption of ecosystem functions. Ecological networks (ENs) are effective comprehensive spatial regulation schemes for mitigating the negative impacts of rapid urbanization on ecosystems. However, the methods of constructing ENs were not sufficiently developed for determining its spatial range and overlooked its internal defects and external threats which may affect its function and effectiveness. Taking the Shanghai metropolitan region as a case study area, this study developed an integrated approach to identify the spatial range, internal defects and external threats of ENs based on circuit theory and assessment of ecological degradation risk to identify the restored and conserved priority areas of ENs. The results show that the restored priority areas included the obstacles and ecological fracture points of ecological corridors in the terrestrial ecosystem (TEC), covering an area of 79.21 km2, and the conserved priority areas were composed of 273.3 km2 of areal ecological patches in the TEC, and 891.35 km of waterways of ecological corridors in the aquatic ecosystem (AEC). This approach attempts to provide a spatial reference for the identification and implementation of ENs in metropolitan regions by focusing on restored and conserved priority areas.