Regional land ecological security evaluation and ecological poverty alleviation practice: A case study of Yangxian County in Shaanxi Province, China

Land ecological security (LES) is an important part of China's ecological civilization construction, which plays a vital role in ensuring the sustainable development of its society and economy. Based on the Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, this study quantified the spatiotemporal changes of LES in 28 counties of the southern Shaanxi Province from 2009 to 2018. The influencing factors of LES in Yangxian County were explored to clarify the mechanisms that rely on the land ecological advantages to develop organic agriculture and boost poverty alleviation. Results show that the LES of Yangxian always ranked in the top six in 28 counties of the southern Shaanxi region during 2009-2018. The LES in Yangxian increased from 0.385 in 2009 to 0.533 in 2018, and the LES level changed from relatively unsafe to safe. The indicators of rural per capita net income, grain output per unit area of arable land, and grazing intensity could explain 99.8% of the LES variance in Yangxian. Relying on ecological resources, Yangxian increased farmers' income and boosted alleviation of poverty through innovative land policies, developing organic agriculture, and rural tourism. These findings will provide theoretical support and model reference for balancing ecological protection and poverty alleviation in restricted development zones.