ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessing Landscape Ecological Risk
for a World Natural Heritage Site: a Case Study
of Bayanbulak in China
Hui Shi1,2, Zhaoping Yang1, Fang Han1, Tiange Shi1,2, Dong Li3
1Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China
2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3Tourism School, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, Urumqi Xinjiang 830012, China
2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3Tourism School, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, Urumqi Xinjiang 830012, China
Submission date: 2014-02-17
Final revision date: 2014-08-10
Acceptance date: 2014-09-03
Publication date: 2015-02-06
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(1):269–283
KEYWORDS
landscape ecological riskαspatial-temporal differentiationβwetland ecological managementγhabitat migrationδBayanbulak Wetlandlandscape ecological riskspatial-temporal differentiationwetland ecological managementhabitat migration
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Wetland protection, floral and faunal resource management, and habitat migration are all concerns for
the ecological risk of wetland landscapes. Indices of landscape-scale ecological risks have the potential to
influence changes in landscape patterns, the conditions of endangered plants and animals, and influences from
nature and humans. Semi-variation function and gravity center models were used to quantify risk area changes.
The changes of landscape ecological risk were analyzed for Bayanbulak Wetland from 2000 to 2010. In addition
to landscape and species distribution data, GIS technology and remote sensing were used in this study.
Results show that landscape structure changed over the 10-year period, with high-cover grassland area
decreasing the most. Landscape pattern index types also changed for the study area. The number of landscapetype
patches to low-cover grassland decreased, the landscape fragmentation index of dry land and high-cover
grassland was reduced, and the interference degree of middle-cover grassland increased over the study period.
The index of landscape ecological risk decreased from 2000 to 2010, with the spatial structure changing
from a single center concentration to a multi-center distribution. All varying ecological risk regions of gravity
centers moved from the northeast to the southwest. The gravity migration of the Level 2 region moved the
furthest. Additionally, evidence suggests that various threatening factors reduce the ecological function and
systems of wetlands. These include climate change, biological invasion, human activities, and water pollution.
This paper assesses the heritage site landscape ecological risk and calculates the gravity center change of the
region, which can be formulated to enrich and develop the research of small- and medium-sized wetlands in
cold, semi-arid climates.
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