Exploring complex place-based coevolution of ecosystem and human activities: A case study of Qilian Mountain area in China
Zhenshan Yang, Yang Liu, Huimin Su, Xingchen Liu
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the variations in and complex connections between humans and ecological systems is required to improve adaptation strategies and measures. Here, we propose a place-based evaluation approach to examine the complex relationship between human activities and the ecosystem, which was analyzed in an empirical study of the Qilian Mountain Protected Area. Human activities were measured using the human footprint index, whereas the ecosystem was evaluated by determining the remote sensing-based comprehensive ecological index. The quality of the ecosystem continuously improved, and the long-term change in the human footprint index remained stable. Coupling analysis revealed the relationship between human activities and the ecosystem, which varied at different locations in the protected area. Using the geodetector method, we found that transportation accessibility is the key factor causing spatiotemporal variations in the human footprint index–remote sensing-based comprehensive ecological index coupling results. The approach can improve adaptation strategies and measures tailored to specific conditions of a location for ecosystem management.