Variability in Regional Ecological Vulnerability: A Case Study of Sichuan Province, China

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and natural hazards are posing threats to local ecological processes and ecosystem services worldwide. Using land use, socioeconomic, and natural hazards data, we conducted an assessment of the ecological vulnerability of prefectures in Sichuan Province for the years 2005, 2010, and 2015 to capture variations in its capacity to modulate in response to disturbances and to explore potential factors driving these variations. We selected five landscape metrics and two topological indicators for the proposed ecological vulnerability index (EVI), and constructed the EVI using a principal component analysis-based entropy method. A series of correlation analyses were subsequently performed to identify the factors driving variations in ecological vulnerability. The results show that: (1) for each of the study years, prefectures with high ecological vulnerability were located mainly in southern and eastern Sichuan, whereas prefectures in central and western Sichuan were of relatively low ecological vulnerability; (2) Sichuan’s ecological vulnerability increased significantly (p = 0.011) during 2005–2010; (3) anthropogenic activities were the main factors driving variations in ecological vulnerability. These findings provide a scientific basis for implementing ecological protection and restoration in Sichuan as well as guidelines for achieving integrated disaster risk reduction.

Keywords

Anthropogenic activities / Ecological vulnerability / Natural hazards / PCA-based entropy method / Rank correlation

References

[1] Aksha SK, Juran L, Resler LM, Zhang Y. An analysis of social vulnerability to natural hazards in Nepal using a modified social vulnerability index. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2019, 10(1): 103-116.

[2] Armaş I, Toma-Danila D, Ionescu R, Gavriş A. Vulnerability to earthquake hazard: Bucharest case study, Romania. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2017, 8(2): 182-195.

[3] Aswani S, Lauer M. Indigenous people’s detection of rapid ecological change. Conservation Biology, 2014, 28(3): 820-828.

[4] Babí Almenar J, Bolowich A, Elliot T, Geneletti D, Sonnemann G, Rugani B. Assessing habitat loss, fragmentation and ecological connectivity in Luxembourg to support spatial planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2019, 189: 335-351.

[5] Beroya-Eitner MA. Ecological vulnerability indicators. Ecological Indicators, 2016, 60: 329-334.

[6] Cao MT, Xu D, Xie F, Liu E, Liu S. The influence factors analysis of households’ poverty vulnerability in southwest ethnic areas of China based on the hierarchical linear model: A case study of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Applied Geography, 2016, 66: 144-152.

[7] Chen LM. Research on the coupling development between population and land urbanization in Sichuan Province. Journal of Chengdu Normal University, 2017, 33(9): 58-63 (in Chinese)

[8] Chen, P.Y., and A. Hero. 2013. Node removal vulnerability of the largest component of a network. In 2013 IEEE Global Conference on Signal and Information Processing, 587–590.

[9] Chen WF, Cutter SL, Emrich CT, Shi PJ. Measuring social vulnerability to natural hazards in the Yangtze River Delta region, China. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2013, 4(4): 169-181.

[10] Cinner, J.E., C. Huchery, E.S. Darling, A.T. Humphries, N.A.J. Graham, C.C. Hicks, N. Marshall, and T.R. McClanahan. 2013. Evaluating social and ecological vulnerability of coral reef fisheries to climate change. PLoS ONE 8(9): Article e74321.

[11] De Lange HJ, Lahr J, Van Der Pol JJC, Wessels Y, Faber JH. Ecological vulnerability in wildlife: An expert judgment and multicriteria analysis tool using ecological traits to assess relative impact of pollutants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2009, 28(10): 2233-2240.

[12] De Lange HJ, Sala S, Vighi M, Faber JH. Ecological vulnerability in risk assessment—A review and perspectives. Science of the Total Environment, 2010, 408(18): 3871-3879.

[13] Department of Land Resources of Sichuan Sichuan geological environment bulletin, 2010, Chengdu, China: Department of Land Resources of Sichuan

[14] Department of Natural Resources of Sichuan Province Sichuan land and resources bulletin, 2015, Chengdu, China: Department of Natural Resources of Sichuan Province

[15] Ding, Q., X. Shi, D.F. Zhuang, and Y. Wang. 2018. Temporal and spatial distributions of ecological vulnerability under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors in an eco-province under construction in China. Sustainability 10(9): Article 3087.

[16] Disaster Relief Office of People’s Government of Sichuan Sichuan disaster relief yearbook, 2005, Chengdu, China: Disaster Relief Office of People’s Government of Sichuan

[17] Du, Y.P., Y. Zhang, X.G. Zhao, and X.H. Wang. 2014. Risk evaluation of bogie system based on extension theory and entropy weight method. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience 2014: Article 195752.

[18] Ehrhardt-Martinez K. Social determinants of deforestation in developing countries: A cross-national study. Social Forces, 1998, 77(2): 567-586.

[19] Ellison D, Futter MN, Bishop K. On the forest cover-water yield debate: From demand- to supply-side thinking. Global Change Biology, 2012, 18(3): 806-820.

[20] Estrada E, Higham DJ, Hatano N. Communicability betweenness in complex networks. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2009, 388(5): 764-774.

[21] Fang Y. The current situation of land use in Sichuan forestry nature reserves. Journal of Sichuan Forestry Science and Technology, 2019, 40(2): 80-83 (in Chinese)

[22] Forman RTT. Some general principles of landscape and regional ecology. Landscape Ecology, 1995, 10(3): 133-142.

[23] Grubesic TH, Matisziw TC, Murray AT, Snediker D. Comparative approaches for assessing network vulnerability. International Regional Science Review, 2008, 31(1): 88-112.

[24] Guo Y. Urban resilience in post-disaster reconstruction: Towards a resilient development in Sichuan, China. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2012, 3(1): 45-55.

[25] Hawbaker TJ, Radeloff VC, Clayton MK, Hammer RB, Gonzalez-Abraham CE. Road development, housing growth, and landscape fragmentation in northern Wisconsin: 1937–1999. Ecological Applications, 2006, 16(3): 1222-1237.

[26] He HS, DeZonia BE, Mladenoff DJ. An aggregation index (AI) to quantify spatial patterns of landscapes. Landscape Ecology, 2000, 15(7): 591-601.

[27] Hong WY, Jiang RR, Yang CY, Zhang FF, Su M, Liao Q. Establishing an ecological vulnerability assessment indicator system for spatial recognition and management of ecologically vulnerable areas in highly urbanized regions: A case study of Shenzhen, China. Ecological Indicators, 2016, 69: 540-547.

[28] Hou K, Li XX, Zhang J. GIS analysis of changes in ecological vulnerability using a SPCA model in the Loess Plateau of Northern Shaanxi, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2015, 12(4): 4292-4305.

[29] Hu, F.Y., C.H. Yeung, S.N. Yang, W.P. Wang, and A. Zeng. 2016. Recovery of infrastructure networks after localised attacks. Scientific Reports 6: Article 24522.

[30] Ippolito A, Sala S, Faber JH, Vighi M. Ecological vulnerability analysis: A river basin case study. Science of the Total Environment, 2010, 408(18): 3880-3890.

[31] Jiang, M., W. Gao, X.W. Chen, X.F. Zhang, and W.X. Wei. 2008. Analysis of ecological vulnerability based on landscape pattern and ecological sensitivity: A case of Duerbete County. Proceedings of SPIE—The International Society for Optical Engineering 7083: Article 708315-11 (in Chinese).

[32] Jiang PH, Zhao RF, Zhao HL, Lu LP, Xie ZL. Relationships of wetland landscape fragmentation with climate change in middle reaches of Heihe River. China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2013, 24(6): 1661-1668 (in Chinese)

[33] Kong FH, Yin HW, Nakagoshi N, Zong YG. Urban green space network development for biodiversity conservation: Identification based on graph theory and gravity modeling. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2010, 95(1–2): 16-27.

[34] Kumar R, Bala G, Ravindranath NH, Upgupta S, Sharma J, Chaturvedi RK. Assessment of inherent vulnerability of forests at landscape level: A case study from Western Ghats in India. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2015, 22(1): 29-44.

[35] Kupfer JA. Landscape ecology and biogeography: Rethinking landscape metrics in a post-FRAGSTATS landscape. Progress in Physical Geography, 2012, 36(3): 400-420.

[36] Lang C, Gao MT, Wu GC, Wu XY. The concentration of population and GDP in high earthquake risk regions in China: Temporal-spatial distributions and regional comparisons from 2000 to 2010. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 2019, 176(10): 4161-4175.

[37] Lee JA, Chon J, Ahn C. Planning landscape corridors in ecological infrastructure using least-cost path methods based on the value of ecosystem services. Sustainability, 2014, 6(11): 7564-7585.

[38] Li JL, Liu YC, Pu RL, Yuan QX, Shi XL, Guo QD, Song XY. Coastline and landscape changes in bay areas caused by human activities: A comparative analysis of Xiangshan Bay, China and Tampa Bay, USA. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2018, 28(8): 1127-1151.

[39] Li PX, Fan J. Regional ecological vulnerability assessment of the Guangxi Xijiang River Economic Belt in southwest China with VSD model. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2014, 5(2): 163-170.

[40] Li T, Shilling F, Thorne J, Li FM, Schott H, Boynton R, Berry AM. Fragmentation of China’s landscape by roads and urban areas. Landscape Ecology, 2010, 25(6): 839-853.

[41] Li XL, Wang L, Liu S. Geographical analysis of community resilience to seismic hazard in southwest China. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2016, 7(3): 257-276.

[42] Lin GCS, Ho SPS. China’s land resources and land-use change: Insights from the 1996 land survey. Land Use Policy, 2003, 20(2): 87-107.

[43] Liou Y, Nguyen AK, Li MH. Assessing spatiotemporal eco-environmental vulnerability by Landsat data. Ecological Indicators, 2017, 80: 52-65.

[44] Lockhart J, Koper N. Northern prairie songbirds are more strongly influenced by grassland configuration than grassland amount. Landscape Ecology, 2018, 33(9): 1543-1558.

[45] McGarigal, K., S.A. Cushman, M.C. Neel, and E. Ene. 2012. FRAGSTATS v4: Spatial pattern analysis program for categorical and continuous maps. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts. http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/fragstats/fragstats.html. Accessed 15 Dec 2018.

[46] Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 2000, 403(6772): 853-858.

[47] Mörtberg UM, Balfors B, Knol WC. Landscape ecological assessment: A tool for integrating biodiversity issues in strategic environmental assessment and planning. Journal of Environmental Management, 2007, 82(4): 457-470.

[48] National Bureau of Statistics of China China statistical yearbook 2016, 2016, Beijing, China: National Bureau of Statistics of China

[49] Ocaña, F.A., D. Pech, N. Simões, and I. Hernández-Ávila. 2019. Spatial assessment of the vulnerability of benthic communities to multiple stressors in the Yucatan Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico. Ocean & Coastal Management 181: Article 104900.

[50] Oppio A, Corsi S. Territorial vulnerability and local conflicts perspectives for waste disposals siting. A case study in Lombardy region (Italy). Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017, 141: 1528-1538.

[51] Ortega M, Saura S, González-Avila S, Gómez-Sanz V, Elena-Rosselló R. Landscape vulnerability to wildfires at the forest-agriculture interface: Half-century patterns in Spain assessed through the SISPARES monitoring framework. Agroforestry Systems, 2012, 85(3): 331-349.

[52] Pinto N, Keitt TH. Beyond the least-cost path: Evaluating corridor redundancy using a graph-theoretic approach. Landscape Ecology, 2009, 24(2): 253-266.

[53] Qiao Q. Research on landscape pattern and ecological frangibility assessment of Chuan-Dian farming-pastoral zone, 2007, Beijing: Beijing Forestry University (in Chinese)

[54] Qiao, Z., X. Yang, J. Liu, and X.L. Xu. 2013. Ecological vulnerability assessment integrating the spatial analysis technology with algorithms: A case of the wood-grass ecotone of northeast China. Abstract and Applied Analysis 2013: Article 207987.

[55] Qiu BK, Li HL, Zhou M, Zhang L. Vulnerability of ecosystem services provisioning to urbanization: A case of China. Ecological Indicators, 2015, 57: 505-513.

[56] Qiu PH, Xu SJ, Xie GZ, Tang BN, Bi H, Yu LS. Analysis of the ecological vulnerability of the western Hainan Island based on its landscape pattern and ecosystem sensitivity. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2007, 27(4): 1257-1264.

[57] Sahoo S, Dhar A, Debsarkar A, Kar A. Future scenarios of environmental vulnerability mapping using grey analytic hierarchy process. Natural Resources Research, 2019, 28(4): 1461-1483.

[58] Song GB, Chen Y, Tian MR, Lv SH, Zhang SS, Liu SL. The ecological vulnerability evaluation in southwestern mountain region of China based on GIS and AHP method. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 2010, 2: 465-475.

[59] Technology Expert Group on Earthquake Relief, China National Commission for Disaster Reduction—The Ministry of Science and Technology Comprehensive analysis and assessment of Wenchuan Earthquake, 2008, Beijing: Science Press

[60] Turner BL, Kasperson RE, Matson PA, McCarthy JJ, Corell RW, Christensen L, Eckley N, Kasperson JX A framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainability science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2003, 100(14): 8074-8079.

[61] Uddin MN, Islam AKMS, Bala SK, Islam GMT, Adhikary S, Saha D, Haque S, Fahad MGR, Akter R. Mapping of climate vulnerability of the coastal region of Bangladesh using principal component analysis. Applied Geography, 2019, 102: 47-57.

[62] Wang YK, Fu B, Xu P. Evaluation the impact of earthquake on ecosystem services. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 2012, 13(1): 954-966.

[63] Wang ZH, Zeng HL, Wei YM, Zhang YX. Regional total factor energy efficiency: An empirical analysis of industrial sector in China. Applied Energy, 2012, 97: 115-123.

[64] Wang, Z.X., D.D. Li, and H.H. Zheng. 2018. The external performance appraisal of China energy regulation: An empirical study using a TOPSIS method based on entropy weight and Mahalanobis distance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15(2): Article 236.

[65] Williams LRR, Kapustka LA. Ecosystem vulnerability: A complex interface with technical components. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2000, 19(4): 1055-1058.

[66] Xie ZL, Li XZ, Jiang DG, Lin SW, Yang B, Chen SL. Threshold of island anthropogenic disturbance based on ecological vulnerability assessment—A case study of Zhujiajian Island. Ocean and Coastal Management, 2019, 167: 127-136.

[67] Xiong JN, Peng C, Fan CK, Sun M, Liu ZQ, Gong Y. Dynamic monitoring of vegetation fraction change in disaster area of Wenchuan Earthquake based on MODIS time-series data. Journal of Basic Science and Engineering, 2018, 26(1): 60-69 (in Chinese)

[68] Yang SN, He S, Du J, Sun XH. Screening of social vulnerability to natural hazards in China. Natural Hazards, 2015, 76(1): 1-18.

[69] Ying X, Zeng GM, Chen GQ, Tang L, Wang KL, Huang DY. Combining AHP with GIS in synthetic evaluation of eco-environment quality—A case study of Hunan Province. China. Ecological Modelling, 2007, 209(2): 97-109.

[70] Yu DY, Xun B, Shi PJ, Shao HB, Liu YP. Ecological restoration planning based on connectivity in an urban area. Ecological Engineering, 2012, 46: 24-33.

[71] Zang Z, Zou XQ, Zuo P, Song QC, Wang CL, Wang JJ. Impact of landscape patterns on ecological vulnerability and ecosystem service values: An empirical analysis of Yancheng Nature Reserve in China. Ecological Indicators, 2017, 72(72): 142-152.

[72] Zhang, X.Q., C.B. Wang, E.K. Li, and C.D. Xu. 2014. Assessment model of ecoenvironmental vulnerability based on improved entropy weight method. The Scientific World Journal 2014: Article 797814.