Ecological suitability evaluation is a critical component of regional sustainable development and construction, serving as a foundation for optimizing spatial patterns of regional growth. This is particularly pertinent in karst mountainous regions characterized by limited land resources and heightened ecosystem vulnerability, where a quantitative assessment of ecological suitability for land development is both crucial and urgent. Based on the fundamental principles of structural and functional dynamics in landscape ecology, this study focuses on Gui’an New Area, a designated urban development zone situated in the karst landscape of Guizhou Province. An index system was established encompassing three dimensions: ecological elements, ecological significance, and ecological resilience, utilizing the integrated ecological resistance (IER) model to evaluate the suitability of regional development and construction. The results reveal that the eastern region exhibits higher suitability compared to the central and western regions, with the northwest region demonstrating the lowest suitability overall. Relatively speaking, the evaluation of geological environment suitability and the comprehensive ecological constraints associated with development and construction indicates that the areas currently planned and ongoing reflect flat terrain and low ecological risk. Furthermore, within the scope of ecosystem dynamic adaptation, developmental activities in these regions exert minimal impact on the natural ecosystem, thereby demonstrating a high suitability for development and construction. In terms of future key development zones, areas with gentle slopes ranging from 8 to 15 degrees are recommended, aligning with the actual requirements for cultivated land protection. The total area designated as prohibited development zones constitutes the smallest proportion, representing only 9.45%, which is significantly lower than that of priority development zones (38.75%) and moderate development zones (22.45%). From the perspective of landscape ecology, this paper provides a comprehensive investigation into the ecological suitability evaluation system for development and construction in the karst regions of Southwest China, offering valuable insights for assessing ecological suitability in similar areas.

As an ecological transition zone, the ecosystem of the Qin River Basin in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is of great significance to the regional ecological balance. With the rapid socio-economic development, land use changes are significant, and the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystems are evolving. Exploring its dynamics and driving mechanisms is crucial to the ecological protection and sustainable development of watersheds. This research systematically examines the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of ecosystem patterns in the middle Yellow River’s Qin River Basin (1990–2020). Quantitative assessments integrating ecosystem transition metrics and redundancy analysis reveal three critical insights: (1) dominance of agricultural land and woodland (74.81% combined coverage), with grassland (18.58%) and other land types (6.61%) constituting secondary components; (2) dynamic interconversion between woodland and grassland accompanied by urban encroachment on agricultural land, manifesting as net reductions in woodland (−13.74%), farmland (−6.60%), and wetland (−38.64%) contrasting with grassland (+43.34%) and built-up area (+116.63%) expansion; (3) quantified anthropogenic drivers showing agricultural intensification (45.03%) and ecological protection measures (36.50%) as primary forces, while urbanization account for 18.47% of observed changes. The first two RDA ordination axes significantly (p < 0.01) explain 68.3% of the variance in ecosystem evolution, particularly linking land-use changes to socioeconomic indicators. Based on these findings, the study proposes integrated watershed management strategies emphasizing scientific land-use optimization, controlled urban expansion, and systematic ecological rehabilitation to enhance landscape stability in this ecologically sensitive region. The conclusions of this study have important reference value for other ecologically sensitive watersheds in land use planning, ecological protection policy making, and ecological restoration practice, which can provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance.

The Qilian Mountains are an important ecological security barrier in the western part of China. The south-central part of Ganzhou District in Zhangye City is adjacent to the Qilian Mountains, which is an important battlefield for the construction of ecological environment protection in the Qilian Mountains. It is also a key site for studying the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on soil geochemical characteristics. However, there is insufficient research on the spatial distribution pattern of soil trace elements and the influencing factors in some areas of the Qilian Mountains. In this work. The authors selected 35 sampling sites in the south-central part of Ganzhou District, Zhangye City, and divided them into three layers according to the depth. The authors completed geochemical elemental characterization and Pearson correlation analysis. This paper analyzed the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on the spatial distribution of soil trace elements. The authors explored in depth the geochemical elemental characteristics of four typical profiles. The results of the study showed that the average values of Hg and Cr elements in the soil were more than twice the background values of the soil in Gansu Province. However, none of the levels exceeded the national screening values for soil contamination risks on agricultural and construction land in the Soil Environmental Quality Standards. Among them, the Profile2 and Profile4 were more intensely affected by anthropogenic influences. The Profile2 was mainly affected by tourism activities and the Profile4 was mainly affected by agricultural activities. The Profile1 and Profile3 were more influenced by natural factors, mainly by the alluvial flooding of the host rock. The elements Cr, Hg, and Mn were considered to be anthropogenic impact elements. As, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn were considered natural influence elements. This study revealed the distribution patterns and influencing factors of 10 soil trace elements, which helped to further understand the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors on soil geochemical processes in the Qilian Mountains.