Optimization of landscape pattern in the main river basin of Liao River in China based on ecological network

As a main stream method of landscape pattern optimization, the ecological network plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability, improving landscape connectivity, and promoting landscape sustainable development. Based on landscape connectivity index and morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), a comprehensive evaluation system of ecological patches was constructed in the main river basin of Liao River, and ecological sources were extracted. According to the habitat characteristics of the study area, the ecological cumulative resistance surface was constructed, and the ecological corridors and nodes were extracted by the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. The ecological network of the study area was comprehensively evaluated by using the network analysis method, and the importance level of the ecological corridor was divided by the gravity model, so as to put forward the optimization suggestions of the landscape pattern based on the ecological network. The results showed that the ecological network in the main river basin of Liao River is composed of 20 ecological sources, 108 ecological corridors, and 72 ecological nodes, with the distribution characteristics of dense east and sparse west. The main landscape components are cropland and woodland. The closure degree, line point rate, and connectivity index of the ecological network are 0.27, 1.50, and 0.51, respectively, and the cost ratio is 0.23. In the optimization of landscape pattern, priority should be given to the restoration of primary ecological sources and ecological corridors, followed by the ecological construction of secondary and tertiary ecological sources and ecological corridors, the rational use of engineering technology for habitat remodeling, and the adoption of the “patch-corridor-substrate” model to improve the stability and landscape connectivity of the regional ecosystem. The construction of ecological network in the main river basin of Liao River is of great significance to regional ecological security and biodiversity conservation, and provides data support for optimizing the landscape pattern of the basin and promoting regional sustainable development.