Ecological Importance Evaluation of the Changzhutan Ecological Green Heart

The ecological source area is the basis of regional ecological security, clearing the important performance of the ecological source area in the region to provide targeted measures for ecological construction. Taking the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan ecological green core as an example, the ecological importance evaluation system was constructed from five aspects of spatial location, scale advantage, spatial layout, spatial connection, and ecological composition. For the spatial structure based on ecological networks, the ecological importance evaluation was carried out, and the ecological function was defined. It can provide a reference for the protection and construction of the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan ecological green core. The results show the following: (1) The research method of inferring the ecological functions of ecological source sites based on the spatial characteristics of ecological networks and then completing the evaluation of ecological importance is feasible and effective, reflecting the macroecological functions played by ecological source sites in regional ecosystems and providing ideas for exploring the multiple ecological functions of ecological source sites from a combination of macro and micro perspectives. (2) The ecological importance of the Changzhutan Ecological Green Center is much higher than other ecological sources in Changzhutan Urban Cluster, and its main ecological function is the spatial structure strengthening function, followed by the spatial connection function, and the ecological service function is lower. The internal landscape pattern of interlocking arable land and woodland, with arable land blocking the ecological landscape, requires landscape pattern optimization. (3) The ecological green heart of Changzhutan is close to the regional mass center, and the ecological service area accounts for 14.57% of the area of Changzhutan urban agglomeration, which is connected to 55% of the ecological sources through ecological corridors, is the core hub connecting the north-south ecosystem of Changzhutan urban agglomeration, and is in a dominant position in the regional ecosystem. In the absence of the Changzhutan ecological green heart, the patch density, average proximity, cohesion, and aggregation all drop to the lowest, connectivity drops to the second lowest, and subdimensionality reaches the highest, highlighting the significance of the Changzhutan ecological green heart to maintain the ecological green volume of the Changzhutan urban cluster, enhance the overall ecosystem connectivity, and reduce landscape fragmentation. (4) There are five important ecological connection points between the Changzhutan Ecological Green Center and external ecosystem, which need to take different measures to strengthen ecological protection and construction.