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Bridging gaps in ecological security: spatial conservation prioritization through balancing ecological features in a great Chinese city

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2025

Wei Fu Open the ORCID record for Wei Fu [Opens in a new window] ,
Zhouyu Fan ,
Xiaorui Zhang ,
Siyu Wang ,
Yitong Pan  and
Jiping Wen Open the ORCID record for Jiping Wen [Opens in a new window]
Wei Fu
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
Zhouyu Fan
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China
Xiaorui Zhang
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China
Siyu Wang
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China
Yitong Pan
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China
Jiping Wen*
Affiliation:
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, P. R. China
*
Corresponding author: Jiping Wen; Email: wraguin@outlook.com
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Summary

Megacities around the world are increasingly confronted with conservation and restoration bottlenecks due to the competing demands of urban expansion and environmental conservation. This study investigates conservation prioritization strategies for balancing biodiversity protection, ecosystem service (ES) supply and landscape connectivity in rapidly urbanizing Beijing. By employing spatially explicit modelling and prioritization scenario techniques, we identify spatially heterogeneous priority zones. We demonstrate that high-value areas for ES supply, particularly carbon storage and water regulation, concentrate primarily in Beijing’s north-western mountainous regions, covering c. 62% of the city’s area. Conversely, critical habitats for threatened species and key connectivity corridors are dispersed, with 22.89% of critical habitats located within urban built-up areas. Gap analysis reveals limited alignment between Beijing’s current ecological security patterns, with only 9.6% coverage of the identified top 10% conservation priority zones, especially within the metropolitan core. The study underscores significant trade-offs among different ecological objectives and multi-criteria conservation strategies. We propose an optimized conservation framework based on zonation analysis to guide targeted landscape planning decisions. This approach provides actionable insights for urban policymakers to achieve comprehensive sustainability, emphasizing the importance of protecting critical ecological areas in both urban and rural landscapes amid ongoing urban expansion.

Keywords

Biodiversityecosystem service supplylandscape connectivityspatial conservationZonation

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Type
Research Paper
Information
Environmental Conservation , First View , pp. 1 - 10
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

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