Management implications from multi-scale linkages between landscape ecological risk and habitat quality in the Qinghai Lake Basin
5 affiliations
- 1College of Ecological Environmental and Resources, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining, 810007, China; Key Laboratory of Resource Chemistry and Eco-environmental Protection in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining, 810007, China
- 2College of Tourism, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining, 810007, China
- 3College of Geographical Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, 810008, China; Corresponding author.
- 4College of Politics and Public Administration, Qinghai Minzu University, Xining, 810007, China
- 5College of Geographical Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, 810008, China
Abstract
Understanding spatiotemporal heterogeneity and its scale dependencies is critically important, yet translating this understanding into effective management for vast alpine inland watersheds remains a fundamental challenge. An integrated multi-scale assessment framework combining landscape ecological risk index (ERI) and habitat quality (HQ) was developed to diagnose the ecological security of the Qinghai Lake Basin (QLB) from 1990 to 2020. The results show a historic basin-wide transformation, characterized by a 31.25% decrease in ERI and a 9.83% increase in HQ. A pivotal shift was identified during 2000–2010, where the spatial pattern transitioned from a complex annular structure to a homogenized low-risk state. Critically, four distinct county-level evolutionary trajectories were identified: Dramatic Improvement (Tianjun), Persistent Pressure (Gangcha), Stable Superiority (Gonghe), and Fluctuating Optimization (Haiyan), unraveling the complex interplay between ecological baselines and human activities. This heterogeneity underscores the necessity for differentiated governance. Furthermore, a “Pattern → Function → Risk” cascade is proposed as a working hypothesis: accumulated structural risk (indicated by ERI) may precede severe functional degradation (reflected by HQ), this asynchrony defines a preventive window for early-stage risk detection and proactive stress reduction. Because this asynchrony is inferred from four time points, it remains a working hypothesis rather than a validated early-warning model. This study provides a spatially explicit framework for the transition from uniform to targeted, proactive ecological governance in the QLB and other vulnerable alpine ecosystems.
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BibTeX
@article{han2026management,
title = {{Management implications from multi-scale linkages between landscape ecological risk and habitat quality in the Qinghai Lake Basin}},
author = {Yanli Han and Cungui Zhang and Kelong Chen and Long Yang and Jing Ma and Xinguang Yang and Haizhen Yang and Yuyu Ma and Mingzhu Cao},
journal = {Environmental and Sustainability Indicators},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.indic.2026.101583},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101583},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Management implications from multi-scale linkages between landscape ecological risk and habitat quality in the Qinghai Lake Basin
AU - Yanli Han
AU - Cungui Zhang
AU - Kelong Chen
AU - Long Yang
AU - Jing Ma
AU - Xinguang Yang
AU - Haizhen Yang
AU - Yuyu Ma
AU - Mingzhu Cao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Environmental and Sustainability Indicators
DO - 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101583
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2026.101583
AB - Understanding spatiotemporal heterogeneity and its scale dependencies is critically important, yet translating this understanding into effective management for vast alpine inland watersheds remains a fundamental challenge. An integrated multi-scale assessment framework combining landscape ecological risk index (ERI) and habitat quality (HQ) was developed to diagnose the ecological security of the Qinghai Lake Basin (QLB) from 1990 to 2020. The results show a historic basin-wide transformation, characterized by a 31.25% decrease in ERI and a 9.83% increase in HQ. A pivotal shift was identified during 2000–2010, where the spatial pattern transitioned from a complex annular structure to a homogenized low-risk state. Critically, four distinct county-level evolutionary trajectories were identified: Dramatic Improvement (Tianjun), Persistent Pressure (Gangcha), Stable Superiority (Gonghe), and Fluctuating Optimization (Haiyan), unraveling the complex interplay between ecological baselines and human activities. This heterogeneity underscores the necessity for differentiated governance. Furthermore, a “Pattern → Function → Risk” cascade is proposed as a working hypothesis: accumulated structural risk (indicated by ERI) may precede severe functional degradation (reflected by HQ), this asynchrony defines a preventive window for early-stage risk detection and proactive stress reduction. Because this asynchrony is inferred from four time points, it remains a working hypothesis rather than a validated early-warning model. This study provides a spatially explicit framework for the transition from uniform to targeted, proactive ecological governance in the QLB and other vulnerable alpine ecosystems.
SN - 2665-9727
ER -