Robustness test of multiple protection strategies for ecological networks from the perspective of complex networks: Evidence from Wuhan Metropolitan Area, China

Robustness is the key for strategies to protect ecological network (ENs) against external threats. In this study, we proposed a research framework for robustness testing of EN protection strategies. First, we constructed the ENs of Wuhan Metropolitan Area (WHM) based on the advantages of circuit theory in landscape ecology. We then extended complex network theory to the migration application of ENs. Five protection strategies of ENs were antagonistically combined with multiple attack modes to implement multi-scenario simulations of attacks on ENs. The robustness parameters of the complex network were applied to measure the effectiveness of EN protection strategies under different attack efficiencies. The results showed that identifying the key performance of ENs makes hierarchical protection of ENs possible. Therefore, when focusing on maintaining the transmission efficiency and global connectivity, or preventing fragmentation of ENs in WHM, we recommend protecting the main trunks of ENs. When focusing on maintaining the backbone connectivity of ENs in WHM, we recommend protecting the main-secondary trunks of ENs. We argue that specific protection strategies and directions can be determined according to the objectives of ecological construction and the scheme we put forward.