Construction of eco-security model in the agro-pastoral interconnected zone in northern Shaanxi

Driven by both natural and anthropogenic interference, ecological issues are prevalent in China's environmentally vulnerable areas. The creation of an eco-security model can serve as the empirical basis for environmental rehabilitation. In this study, the agro-pastoral interconnected zone in northern Shaanxi, quintessential ecologically frangible area in the Yellow River basin, is utilized as the research area to analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of land use and landscape ecological risk from 1990 to 2020, and to construct and optimize the eco-security model based on the identification of ecological corridors, ecological pinchpoints and ecological barriers. The results show (1) Grassland and arable land make up the majority of the landscape matrix, with a rise in the size of woodland and built-up and a considerable decrease in unused land being the preponderating features of land use change. (2) From 1990 to 2020, there is a dynamic shift trend in the landscape ecological risk, initially dropping and then increasing. The territory is primarily in a region of medium-low risk, with a northerly high and a southern low distribution pattern. (3) The eco-security model consists of 9 ecological sources, 13 ecological corridors, 31 ecological pinchpoints, and 35 ecological barriers. The optimized ecosecurity model shows a distribution pattern of "one center, three belts and four districts". The outcome of the research can supply a reference for the construction of eco-security model in ecologically fragile areas as well as ecological governance and high-quality development within the region.