As natural selenium (Se)-rich soil in China is generally characterized by a high geological background of cadmium (Cd), the safe utilization of such seleniferous soil remains a challenge. The accumulating evidence shows that the threshold value of the Se:Cd ratio is a determinant of regulating Cd accumulation in plants. However, the factors modulating the soil’s Se:Cd ratio in selenium-enriched regions are not well understood. Here, a comprehensive study aimed at quantitatively analyzing the effects of land-use types, parent-material types, and soil properties on the distribution and influencing factors of Se, Cd, and the Se:Cd ratios. According to land use and parent-material types, 77 soil samples were collected in Yuanzhou District, a typical naturally seleniferous area in the subtropical hilly area. The results suggested that, compared with quaternary red clays (qrc), the Se content of soils derived from river and lake sediments (rls) and weathered acidic crystalline rocks (wacr) decreased by 5.81%–19.75%, while the weathered quartzite (wq)-derived soils was increased significantly. The soil Cd content in an orchard was significantly reduced compared with that in a paddy field. A redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that SOM, Total K, and Total P significantly affected the changes in Se and Cd contents. In addition, the land-use type had the most significant effect on the Se:Cd ratio, with a regression coefficient of −0.6999 analyzed by the binary logistic regression model (p < 0.05). Furthermore, pH and Total K were the critical soil properties in controlling the Se:Cd ratio. The study indicated that the Se:Cd ratio in natural selenium-rich soil was mainly regulated by land-use types. Therefore, it is a feasible measure to regulate the Se:Cd ratio by using agronomic practices, mainly regulating soil pH, for the safe utilization of selenium-rich soil with a high Cd background.

The construction and maintenance of an ecological security pattern (ESP) are important for promoting the regional development of ecological civilizations, realizing sustainable and healthy development, and creating a harmonious and beautiful space for human beings and nature to thrive. Traditional construction methods have the limitations of a single dimension, a single method, and excessive human subjective intervention for source and corridor identification, without considering the multidimensional quality of the sources and the structural connectivity and resilience optimization of the corridors. Therefore, an ecological civilization demonstration area (Jiangxi Province) was used as the study area, a new research method for ESP was proposed, and an empirical study was conducted. To evaluate ecosystem service (ES) importance–disturbance–risk and extract sustainability sources through the deep embedded clustering–self-organizing map (DEC–SOM) deep unsupervised learning clustering algorithm, ecological networks (ENs) were constructed by applying the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) gravity model and circuit theory. The ENs were then optimized to improve performance by combining the comparative advantages of the two approaches in terms of structural connectivity and resilience. A comparative analysis of EN performance was constructed among different functional control zones, and the ESP was constructed to include 42 ecological sources, 134 corridors, 210 restoration nodes, and 280 protection nodes. An ESP of ‘1 nucleus, 3 belts, 6 zones, and multiple corridors’ was constructed, and the key restoration components and protection functions were clarified. This study offers a valuable reference for ecological management, protection, and restoration and provides insights into the promotion of harmonious symbiosis between human beings and nature and sustainable regional development.

Identifying ecosystem service (ES) trade-offs and synergies (ESTSs) and their effects provides a critical scientific basis for ecological management. However, the effects of ESTSs are not always direct. To compensate for the limited research on the multidimensional heterogeneity and mediating effects of ESTSs, Jiangxi Province was used as a case study for the analysis of spatiotemporal patterns and heterogeneity in ESTSs. Data from 1990–2020 were assessed from static and dynamic perspectives and from multiple dimensions. The direct and indirect effects of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land use intensity (LUI) on ESTSs were also identified. We found that ESTSs were characterized by short-term fluctuations, dynamic changes, and long-term stability. Overall, ESTSs were stronger according to a static perspective than to a dynamic perspective and ESTSs were stronger at a small scale than at a large scale. Spatial heterogeneity in the relationships between and the degrees of ESTSs occurred across different multidimensional zones. The effects of the NDVI on ESTSs were significant, and the heterogeneity of these effects was significant across different dimensions. The influence coefficients were ranked as follows: functional control dimension > horizontal development circle dimension > vertical topographic position dimension. LUI can function as a vital mediator in the influence chain connecting the NDVI and ESTSs and manifests as a significant partial mediating effect. The goal of this study was to explore the empirical application of econometric statistical methods to the impact of ESTSs, thereby providing a foundation for targeted and differentiated ecological management policies and a reference for the governance of ESs in similar regions.

Relying on the advantages of selenium-rich soil resources, the development of special selenium-rich agricultural industry is an effective measure to implement the rural revitalization strategy. This paper took Yuanzhou district as the research area, based on ecological niche theory, creatively determines the dominant and limiting factors of selenium-rich soil resources development and utilization from three aspects of natural resources endowment, land use conditions and ecological protection, constructed the evaluation index system of selenium-rich soil resources development and utilization and ecological niche suitability index measurement model, and explored the suitability of regional selenium-rich soil resources development and utilization and zoning. The research results show that: (1) The area suitable for exploitation of selenium-rich soil resources in the study area is 174658.4 ha, accounting for 68.83% of the total area, mainly distributed around Yuan River and in the central, northern, northwestern and northeastern areas of the study area. (2) Based on the evaluation results of the suitability of selenium-rich soil resources development and utilization and the development of related agricultural industries, the study area was divided into four functional zones of selenium-rich industrial development: core zone, key zone, development zone and radiation zone. The core zone and key zone are suitable for building selenium-rich agricultural industry demonstration area and selenium-rich products breeding production base, and the development zone and radiation zone can vigorously develop selenium-rich modern agriculture and selenium-rich recreation tourism, which will accelerate the development trend of multi-level and diversified selenium-rich industry in study area.This study can provide scientific, reasonable and feasible ideas and methods for the development and utilization of selenium-rich soil resources and the planning and development of selenium-rich industries in similar areas.